Another Story
by emilyjm
Summary: Sasuke has successfully managed to get himself engaged to Hinata, but that doesn't mean she loves him. He still has two years until they have to get married though...
1. Chapter 1

Another Story

This story is a sequel to _Neji Hyuuga: Matchmaker_. I suppose you could read this one on its own, but it would be better to check out its precursor, even if you just skim it. The story would make more sense if you did.

This story will be shorter than the previous one. It starts the day after _Matchmaker _finishes, and looks at the two years leading up to Sasuke's and Hinata's wedding.

This story may be a little less amusing than its predecessor, just 'cause I have to stick the evil psychopathic brother in it, and that's just going to cause trouble all around. Villains suck.

Thanks for reading, hope I don't disappoint.

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Chapter 1: The Beginning of Something New

Hinata left the Hyuuga compound and headed towards the training grounds just as the sun was making it first appearance of the day. Still feeling a little wrong footed due to the sudden changes in her life, she decided to train. It was very cathartic, after all, to beat the crap out of a tree stump when one was confused.

Apparently she wasn't the only one who found training calming. Sasuke was there as well, and Hinata's face immediately went bright red at finding her fiancée already in the middle of throwing punches at a log. He turned when he sensed her approach. The two of them stood silently regarding each other for a few moments.

"Hn," Sasuke finally said by of greeting. Hinata smiled briefly, then looked down.

"Wanna train?" Sasuke asked. Hinata looked up and nodded once. She got into her typical stance, watching as Sasuke went into his. The two of them sparred for the better part of the morning, exchanging more blows then words. They stopped when the sun was high in the sky, panting and sweaty. Hinata leaned against a tree, trying to catch her breath, and Sasuke walked over to her.

"You're slow," he said simply, handing her a canteen. She obediently took a drink, trying to ignore the sudden feeling of shame. She avoided his gaze, and heard him shift uneasily.

"I mean, it's not like you're bad," he mumbled. She looked at him shyly then, a little confused. Was he trying to apologize? Sasuke sighed and grabbed the canteen from her hands, taking a drink himself.

"Wanna have lunch?" he asked. She blinked at him. He still wasn't looking at her.

"I'm sorry but I can't, Sasuke," she said softly, her eyes expressing regret, "Father expects me back home."

Sasuke just shrugged his shoulders and when she left to return to the Hyuuga compound, he fell easily into step beside her. She glanced at him quizzically, and he mumbled something about walking her home. She stared at him for a moment, but he just looked off to his right, avoiding her eyes. Hinata felt a flash of amusement and smiled. Who knew that Sasuke Uchiha was capable of shyness?

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Hinata and Sasuke continued to meet each morning and train. It wasn't planned or anything, Sasuke just happened to always be at whatever training grounds Hinata chose to work in. She pretended that she didn't notice that he seemed to be stalking her, and he pretended that he wasn't stalking her. Deep down, Hinata found it funny, and sort of charming. No one had ever seemed interested in her that way before, so it was new to her. Not that Sasuke was overtly romantic or anything. Quite the contrary actually. His attitude towards her didn't seem that much different from his attitude towards anyone else – annoyed tolerance. Although, when she thought about it, he seemed less annoyed with her than any other person.

They would train for awhile, and Hinata was pleased to see that she was improving. Sasuke even grunted once, while walking her home, that she was less slow now. He always walked her home, she noted, and she was slowly growing accustomed to his presence. Apparently her growing ease with her betrothed caught her father's attention, because one day, after Hinata had been training with Sasuke for about a month, he called her into his office as she was leaving.

"Hinata, are you going to meet Sasuke this morning?" he asked her. She flushed and nodded.

"Good. I'm pleased that you two seem to be getting along," he said. Hinata didn't reply, not sure if 'getting along' was the way she'd described her relationship with the Uchiha. It was true that they were comfortable around each other, but they hardly ever spoke, and she didn't think trying to land a hit on your fiancée was really 'getting along' with him.

"I want you to inform the Uchiha that he is expected to join our family for dinner every Friday night," her father was saying. Hinata snapped back to reality and stared at him.

"Sorry?" she said, bewildered.

"You and Sasuke are required to attend dinner with us every Friday night," her father repeated. Hinata stared at him blankly.

"For how long?" she finally asked.

"For the rest of your lives. It is a way for you to remain close to the Hyuuga clan, and for us to keep an eye on the Uchiha," her father stated calmly. Hinata could think of nothing to say to this, and merely nodded her head before exiting the house and heading towards the training grounds. She began poking her fingers together nervously half way there, wondering how Sasuke – antisocial, people-hating, loner Sasuke – was going to take the news. By the time she reached the training grounds, her nervousness had extended to her chewing on her lip, her brow furrowed. She tried out different ways of breaking the news to Sasuke, each phrase sounding sillier in her head than the last. She was so focused that she didn't even sense his approach.

"Hinata," Sasuke called, and watched in surprise as his betrothed (a slight shiver ran down his spine at the title) jumped about three feet in the air, letting out a small squeak. He blinked at her, the only outward sign of his confusion.

"S-S-S-Sasuke," she greeted, and Sasuke frowned. Something had happened – Hinata didn't stutter around him anymore, unless she was nervous or anxious.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"N-N-N-Nothing," the heiress stuttered. Sasuke smirked, and she flushed, looking away.

"Hinata," he said, his tone telling her he wasn't buying it. She sighed and shut her eyes. Right, she was just going to come right out and say it.

"My father requests your company for family dinner on Friday night," she said quickly.

"Is that all? Why are you so nervous?" he asked, watching with slight amusement as she cracked one eye open.

"Because it isn't just for the one night – it's for every Friday night for the rest of our lives," she whispered. She couldn't read his expression – it had gone blank at her explanation. She opened both her eyes and took a hesitant step towards him.

"Sasuke?" she asked. He sighed, and his face fell back into his typical irritated look.

"That's inconvenient. What if I have a mission?" he asked.

"I think you'll be exempt from the dinner than," she said, "but I'll probably still have to go."

He was silent for a few moments.

"Do you want me to go?" he asked as his eyes slid away from her.

"Yes," Hinata said softly, watching him. She didn't hesitate in replying because it was true. Sasuke, when she had accepted him as her betrothed, had suddenly become a huge part of her life. She realized that even though, in two years, she would move out of her old home to start a new one with him, she still wanted to stay in constant contact with the Hyuuga. And she wanted Sasuke to be a part of that. She wasn't sure why, she just did.

"All right," Sasuke said quietly, before moving into his regular training stance. Hinata smiled at him, thanking him softly, before taking her own position.

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Sasuke sighed mentally and glared up at the gates to the Hyuuga compound. It was the first Friday night of his annual Hyuuga dinner and he wasn't looking forward to it at all. He couldn't remember the last time he had taken a meal with a family. Actually, come to think of it, he had never taken a meal with a family, except his own…but that was painful to remember, so he shoved it back ruthlessly. He didn't need to be reminded of his family, his decision to choose Hinata over Itachi was still gnawing at him, and he didn't want that hanging over his head. Especially tonight, as it was the first time he would be interacting with his betrothed's family in a normal setting.

He knocked and waited for someone to answer the door. After a few moments, he heard footsteps running quickly, along with muffled cries. They stopped when they reached the front door, and he heard a slight scuffle. He blinked as the door was suddenly thrown open by Hinata. Sasuke looked behind her to see Neji holding Hanabi in a head lock, his hand covering the younger girl's mouth. Hinata's face was flushed and she was panting slightly. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, and she nervously smoothed her hair.

"Hello, Sasuke," she said softly, and stepped aside, "Please come in."

Sasuke entered and watched curiously as Hanabi's face fell. Her eyes flicked briefly upwards, and he looked up to see an elaborate prank that looked like it had just been neutralised. He glared at the young Naruto wannabe, and she shot him an innocent 'Who me?' look. Sasuke gritted his teeth, and wondered what the hell he had just gotten himself into.

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End of the first chapter. I was going to make this story into two loooooooong chapters, but figured this way was better, as you guys could all read a little something every week or two, as opposed to not seeing anything 'till Christmas.

Thanks for all your reviews for _Matchmaker_, hope you enjoy this next instalment.


	2. Chapter 2: Old Flames

Chapter 2: Old Flames

Dinner was not as horrible as Sasuke thought it would be. It appeared that Hiashi Hyuuga had a silencing effect on his youngest daughter, and Sasuke found that as long as she was in Hiashi's presence, Hanabi was much less of a mouthy brat. However, Hiashi couldn't very well shadow the Uchiha, and Sasuke found that the most trying times were before dinner, and just as he was leaving. Hanabi seemed to make it her life goal to annoy him. When he told Hinata this during one of their morning meetings, she surprised him by laughing.

"She's like that with Neji too, Sasuke," Hinata explained softly, smiling up at him. It was rare that Sasuke ever saw Hinata smile like that, and he wished briefly that it was because of him and not her sister.

"Why? Does she have a death wish?" he muttered.

"No," Hinata said, looking thoughtful, "I think she just likes to get under stoic peoples' skin. You should see her with Shino, she's horrible. Shino says she's worse than Kiba was."

Sasuke tried to imagine someone worse than Inuzuka, who had taken to glaring at him whenever they passed in the street. He couldn't quite imagine someone worse than Kiba. Even Hanabi, with all her insults, teasing, and pranking, was more tolerable. At least she didn't accuse him of molesting her sister. For some reason, Kiba was under the impression that Sasuke had 'forced' himself on 'poor, sweet Hinata-chan' and had his 'dastardly way with her'. Sasuke figured it had something to do with his sudden engagement to Hinata. No one seemed to believe him capable of actually caring for the heiress, and assumed he was doing it for some ulterior motive. He scowled at the thought, not sure if the suggestion was a more of an insult to him or Hinata.

He was interrupted in his thoughts by Hinata calling his name. He looked at her and his face softened. She smiled slightly, and they continued walking towards town. They had just finished their morning training and were going for lunch. He was looking forward to spending some time alone with Hinata. She had become much more relaxed and comfortable around him, but had yet to view him with anything remotely resembling how a woman should feel about the man she was to marry. He figured he might remedy that if they tried doing activities that normal couples did – like dating. Hence his invitation for lunch. He had planned it all out, and executed it with the ease of a well trained ninja. The previous Friday night he discreetly found out which day Hinata might be free, issued the invitation Saturday morning, and thought about if for the rest of the week. He would treat her, she would blush in that way that made it difficult for him to look at anything else, and maybe, just maybe, if he was careful and watched for the right moment, he might actually get to kiss her. Not that he was eager or anything. It was merely a matter of protocol after all – she was going to be his wife, and the last time they had kissed had been when they got engaged a little over a month ago. That wasn't normal for a couple, Sasuke felt sure of this, and figured something should be done.

However, all his plans went up in smoke when he heard an irritatingly familiar cheerful voice shout "Hinata-chan!"

Damn it.

He watched in annoyance and a bit of hurt (or a lot) as he fiancée was immediately reduced to a blushing school girl, her fingers coming to poke together as she stammered out a breathless greeting to Naruto.

"What are you guys doing?" his so-called friend asked, running up to them.

"Going to l-lunch," Hinata replied, a little more composed. Sasuke could still see the faintest tint of red on her cheeks.

"Great! I was just on my way to Ichiraku's-"

"No," Sasuke said quickly. Both Naruto and Hinata turned to stare at him. He scowled.

"But Sasuke-bastard, you don't know what I'm going to say," Naruto whined.

"Yes I do. You're going to invite us to lunch. No."

Hinata watched him, confused. She had never seen Sasuke look so upset. He was glowering at Naruto, his jaw tense, eyes dark.

"Sasuke," she said softly, trying to figure out what was wrong. She was shocked when his gaze turned to her. For the briefest moment, Hinata saw a great deal of hurt in his black eyes before he became shuttered.

"Fine. If you want to eat with Narutard, go ahead. It isn't any of my business," he said, his voice cold. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stalked away. Naruto scratched the back of his head.

"What's his problem?" the blonde asked.

"Sorry, Naruto, I have to go," Hinata said softly, glancing at him briefly before running to catch up with Sasuke.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" she asked when she pulled up beside him. Sasuke continued glaring and didn't answer.

"Sasuke," Hinata called him again, getting worried. He stopped and turned, sneering at her.

"Why don't you go eat lunch with the guy of your dreams already," he snapped. Hinata blinked at him, bewildered.

_He's jealous_, she realized with a start. She didn't know what to do – no one had been jealous because of her. She opted to just continue walking with him, but didn't say anything more. He would talk if he felt like it.

They walked silently for awhile, Sasuke scowling the whole time. They eventually stopped at the training grounds where they had spent the morning. He turned to her suddenly, and Hinata saw that her hopes of him calming down were false. He was still upset.

"Do you know what it's like?" he hissed, crowding her. Hinata blinked and backed up a little.

"W-what Sasuke?" she asked.

"You're my fiancée, Hinata. Mine. Not his. And he still makes you – he's the one –" he choked suddenly and turned away from her. Hinata watched his shoulders tense as he took a couple of deep breaths. He spoke again, his voice no longer angry, but soft.

"I gave up everything for you, and it wasn't enough. You want Naruto, not me. Do you know how much –" he stopped and ran his hands through his hair. Hinata approached him quietly, watching his back carefully.

"How much w-what, Sasuke?" Hinata finally asked. He didn't reply, and kept his back to her. Hinata bit her lip, not wanting to press further. She had used up most of her courage following him anyways. She looked down as she began to poke her fingers together.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," she said softly. He did turn then, but she kept her head down.

"Do you even know what you're sorry for?" he asked, annoyance tingeing his voice. Hinata sighed, not wanting to say, but knowing that she had to. He'd never accept her apology if she didn't.

"I'm sorry for the way I a-act around Naruto. I am trying to forget him, and it's s-starting to work…it's just when I see him unexpectedly…" she trailed off, glancing up at him briefly through her lashes. Sasuke sighed, but his face lost much of its coldness. Hinata felt relieved as she saw him fix his expression into the typical one of bored indifference.

"Whatever," he muttered, glancing at her briefly. Hinata smiled slightly, and moved to stand beside him. She dredged up the last remains of her courage, and reached for his hand. Sasuke couldn't mask his surprise when he felt her small fingers close around his.

"Can we have lunch now?" she asked, her cheeks red. Sasuke looked at her briefly before turning his head away.

"Hn," was all he said, and Hinata's smile grew when she caught sight of the barest hint of red on his cheeks.

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	3. Chapter 3: New Flames

Chapter 3: New Flames

Six months had passed. It was now summer and the heat in Konoha was absolutely sweltering. Hinata had even relinquished her usual thick coat in order to find some relief. The first morning she had shrugged it off during her training session with Sasuke, her fiancée had stared at her for a few moments, his eyes looking a little dazed. She had to call his name three times before he blinked and adopted his typical stance. Their morning training sessions had been less frequent of late. Sasuke had been promoted to jounin, and his missions were longer and more dangerous. When he had returned from one with a broken arm, blood flowing from a few very deep wounds, carrying his mission partner on his back, Hinata decided that now was the time to continue with her medical training. She wanted to be able to look after him should the need arise in their marriage. Sasuke hated hospitals, and avoided them whenever he could. The chances of him returning home from a mission with his wounds unattended were pretty good, and Hinata wanted to be prepared.

Hinata had become much more accustomed to the idea that she was to marry Sasuke. In fact, she had so grown used to it that she had difficulty imagining herself married to anyone else. She didn't love him, at least, not in that way, but he had become a very dear friend to her. The concept of Sasuke ever being anything more than a friend hadn't really entered her head, at least not until her friends put it there.

Since Hinata had chosen to continue her medical training, she had become friends quite quickly with Sakura. The two girls, though not close, had always been amicable to each other, and the acquaintance moved into the realm of friendship soon after Hinata started her work at the hospital. With Sakura's friendship came Ino's, and finally Tenten's. Hinata had known of all three ninja, and had gotten along all right with them, but the past few months had developed what had been friendly acquaintances into a strong friendship. They had gotten into the habit of eating out every Friday afternoon, whenever they could. Occasionally one of them might be off on a mission, but it was rare, as all them tried to complete their assignments in order to make it to their regular get together.

The sessions consisted mainly of girl talk. Tenten, Sakura and Ino carried the brunt of the conversation, and Hinata usually sat quietly, laughing softly at whatever was being said. On one particular occasion, late in the summer, the four of them were sitting outside sipping their drinks and talking. Hinata had been a little distracted during the conversation, her eyes scanning the people walking in the streets. Sakura noticed this, and asked her what was wrong.

"Sasuke's been gone all week. He said he'd be back today, and I was just looking for him," she explained, scanning the streets once more before turning her attention to the women sitting at the table with her. Three pairs of eyes were staring at her.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwww, Hinata-chan, you're so sweet, you miss your boy," Ino squealed. Hinata's face turned beat red as she stuttered out a weak protest, which the others ignored.

"I have to say Hinata-chan, that you lucked out," Tenten said matter-of-factly, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Lee, but you managed to snag the best looking ninja in the village."

"It's true," Sakura piped up, "Sasuke is _hot_."

"You're wedding night is going to be amazing," Ino added, and all three girls burst out into a fit of giggles, while Hinata stared at them with wide eyes, her cheeks bright red.

"Oh, Hinata's blushing, maybe she doesn't have to wait?" Sakura teased, and Hinata felt like her face was on fire.

"N-n-no! Sasuke and I – we haven't – I mean –" she couldn't string a sentence together and buried her face in her hands instead while her friends laughed not unkindly at her bashfulness.

"I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you had, Hinata-chan," Ino teased gently, her blue eyes sparkling, "any girl would cut off her right arm for a piece of your fiancée."

Hinata moved her hands, her face still red. For some reason, Ino's last comment annoyed her slightly. She was saved from replying when Sakura suddenly shouted "SASUKE-KUN!"

Hinata's head whipped around and she saw him walking towards them, his face scowling, no doubt due to Sakura's screech.

"Go on, Hinata, give him a big kiss hello," Ino ordered in a stage whisper. Hinata's cheeks burned as her friends collapsed into giggles. Deciding that this conversation had gotten entirely too silly for her taste, she excused herself and met Sasuke before he could get any closer.

"What was that all about?" he muttered, sending an annoyed look at the table full of giggling kunoichi.

"Nevermind," Hinata said as she fell into step beside him, "Where are you going?"

"Handing in the mission report," he said.

"Did it go well?" she asked. Sasuke just shrugged and they continued in silence. Hinata kept glancing at him from the corner of her eye. With a sudden fluttery feeling in her stomach, she realised that her friends were right. Sasuke was very attractive. Even now, just after a mission, looking tired, worn, and dirty, he was still unreasonably good looking. Hinata also noticed the admiring glances he was getting from passer-by. She couldn't blame them, really, as she stole another glance. The more she looked, the more his appearance made an impression on her. How could she _not_ notice how very handsome her fiancée was? Everyone else had, apparently. She caught sight of the two of them in a shop window, and the fluttery feeling in her stomach was quickly replaced by a heavier feeling.

Sasuke was gorgeous. She, however, was not. Hinata turned her eyes to the ground, but she couldn't get that thought out of her head. She had always felt rather plain compared to Sakura and Ino, but she felt even more so now. Tenten, Ino, and Sakura were all so beautiful. Ino and Sakura had the most unique features of any girl in Konoha, with their brightly coloured hair and eyes, and all three girls had stunning figures – tall, slim, and toned. Hinata was short and a little heavier than they were. Her face was round – pudgy, she thought – and her hair was dark, like every other person in Konoha. Even her eyes weren't that unique. Sure they white, but _every_ Hyuuga had white eyes, so that hardly made her special. She glanced up at Sasuke and took in his appearance. He had pale skin, black eyes, dark hair that was longish and fell in his face and brushed his shoulders in a way that made him look attractive and dangerous. He was tall and slim. There was no excess fat on his body, nothing but lean muscles, and he moved with all the skill and grace that a ninja of his talent and rank possessed. Hinata suddenly felt clumsy and awkward next to him. She blushed as she recalled the conversation she had just had with her friends. Her wedding night…oh god, she felt nerves erupt in her stomach at the thought. Sasuke had only ever kissed her once, when they were betrothed. Other than that, he had never shown any signs of attraction towards her, as far as she could tell. Sure, he had stared a bit when she shrugged out of her coat, but that could be due to surprise. After all, she never really took her coat off for anything, sort of like Shino. It was likely the novelty of suddenly seeing her without it on that made him stare. She bit her lip, her brow crinkled in concern. What did Sasuke think of her? She knew he cared for her very much, even loved her, but did he think she was beautiful? When they got married, and had to…did he even want her like that?

"What's wrong?" Sasuke suddenly spoke. Hinata jumped in surprise and felt her face flush red as she stared at him.

"N-Nothing," she replied, and cursed her stutter. Sasuke would see right through it, she knew.

"Hinata," he said in a low voice, stopping to look at her. Hinata sighed and dropped her chin, her fingers poking together.

"I was just thinking…" she trailed off and hoped he would leave it at that.

"About what?" Sasuke asked, watching her. Hinata felt her face erupt into flames.

"About…about…our w-wedding n-night," she stuttered out so soft that Sasuke had to lean forward to catch it. He stiffened at the answer, staring at her.

"What?" he asked, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe.

"It's just, I mean, you're so g-g-good l-looking," Hinata stuttered, desperately wishing she were somewhere else. Her face felt like it was going to explode, but she forced herself to continue "and I-I-I'm not really, and I j-j-just worried that you m-m-might n-n-not want to…you know…" she trailed off.

"What?" Sasuke asked quietly, leaning forward, trying not to get his hopes up. Hinata thought he was good looking? He knew lots of people thought he was, but he didn't know that _Hinata_ thought so. He struggled to pay attention to what she was saying, especially since her voice kept getting quieter. He leaned closer to catch the whispered words.

"I-I-I w-w-was j-j-just worried you m-m-might n-n-not want to have…have…h-have…" she seemed unable to go on.

"Have what, Hinata?" Sasuke asked, getting annoyed. He had no idea what she was trying to say, and wished she would just spit it out.

"H-have…s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-sex…with me," she finally whispered, feeling absolutely mortified. She brought her hands up to her mouth, staring at him through her bangs, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe she had just said that.

Sasuke couldn't believe it either. He just stared at her, wondering if this was really happening, or if he was just unconscious and this was a very vivid dream. Having the woman he loved ask if he wanted to sleep with her in a breathless whisper, staring up at him with huge eyes, hair falling into her face, hands covering her mouth…he swallowed hard, his mouth dry, fighting off the sudden explicit mental images flooding his head. He was jolted from his thoughts by someone knocking into his back, and he suddenly realized that they were standing in the middle of Konoha, and ravishing his fiancée in the street probably wasn't a good idea.

He stepped back and took in a few deep breaths, watching Hinata carefully. There was nothing suggestive about her appearance, so this obviously wasn't a proposition. He replayed the conversation over in his head, trying to figure out how they got here.

_You're so good looking, and I'm not really_ her words played back, and Sasuke suddenly understood. She thought she wasn't beautiful, thought he didn't wanted her. Sasuke stared at her, and then quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her into the alley between two buildings. Hinata squeaked in surprise.

"Sasuke, what –" her question was cut off as he kissed her. Hinata blinked as she suddenly felt Sasuke's arms around her, his mouth pressed against hers. This wasn't like the kiss they shared so many months ago, she though dazedly as her eyes drifted shut. This one was…hard, demanding, _wanting_. He was relentless, and Hinata gasped as he pushed her against the wall. He took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, and it was a few moments (or years, she wasn't sure, she lost track of time, she didn't know you could do _that _with a tongue) before he pulled back, breathing heavily. She stared at him, trembling, her heart beating a mile a minute. He returned her gaze, his eyes darker than usual.

"You are beautiful, and yes, Hinata, I do want to sleep with you," he said, his voice low. Hinata blinked, her mouth falling open slightly in surprise. She clamped it shut when she saw his eyes fixate on it.

"Then w-why haven't you kissed me before now?" she asked, her cheeks red. Her heart was beginning to slow down, finally.

"I didn't want to force you," he muttered, and looked away, "I didn't think you wanted me to kiss you."

"Oh," it was all she could think of. She thought of the fluttery feeling, of the fire she had felt when he had kissed her, "I w-wouldn't mind if you did, Sasuke," she said quietly, lowering her gaze shyly. He looked at her, a faint blush dusting his cheeks.

"All right," he said quietly, and then grabbed her hand, leading her out of the alley. He let go once they were back on the street, but Hinata didn't mind. Sasuke wasn't one for public displays of affection. She now knew for certain what he thought of her - he thought she was beautiful, and she smiled, feeling very warm inside.

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	4. Chapter 4: Baggage

Chapter 4: Baggage

He woke up in the dead of night, soaked in sweat and his breathing coming in sharp, painful gasps. In his mind's eye, he could still see his brother, the red of his eyes matching the red that dripped from the blade of the katana. Sasuke dropped his face into his hands, focusing on his breathing. _ In. Out. In. Out. _The pain came soon after the fear, but with practiced ease he shoved it back, tried instead to call up the anger and hatred he relied so heavily on, only to find that it wasn't enough to chase away his demons this time. He pushed himself off of his bed and headed towards his bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time as he lost the contents of his stomach.

Shaking, he stood and flushed the remains of his dinner with the Hyuugas, and then rinsed out his mouth. He stared at himself in the mirror, noting the pale face with dark circles underneath haunted eyes. His nightmares, which had retreated for a few months, had now returned with a vengeance and it was beginning to show. He knew his friends were becoming concerned, due to the worried looks he was getting from both Sakura and Naruto. Even Hinata was beginning to suspect something.

Hinata…Sasuke closed his eyes and brought her face to his mind. He felt the last vestiges of fear leave him as he focused on her, her eyes, her scent, her taste. He thought back to their training sessions, recalled some of his favourite moments with her – she, blushingly, telling him she wouldn't mind it if he kissed her, her laughter when her birthday present from Kiba jumped up and showered his face with slobbery kisses.

"Shiro likes you, Sasuke," she said, giggling quietly behind her hand, and the only thing that kept Sasuke from killing the mutt had been the way her eyes had shined at him in that moment. Almost like that way they had used to shine at Naruto. He recalled stolen kisses during their sparring, and sympathetic smiles whenever Hanabi laid into him during Friday night dinners.

Sasuke took a deep breath and straightened. He returned to his room and changed the sheets on his bed before crawling back beneath him. He kept his thoughts on Hinata as he tried to fall back asleep. The black night was changing into the early grey of dawn before he finally drifted off.

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Hinata watched Sasuke with concern. They were training in the cool morning of early autumn. She had showed up at the time they usually met, but Sasuke hadn't been there. Hinata waited for a quarter of an hour before he showed up, seemingly unconcerned about his lateness. She had questioned him on it, but he just avoided her gaze and stepped into his training stance. Hinata wordlessly followed suit, but her concern grew in increasing amounts as she watched her fiancée's sluggish and distracted movements. The medic in her took immediate note of the dark circles under his eyes and the almost sallow skin. He wasn't sleeping well, anyone could see that. What she couldn't see was _why_.

Hinata tried to figure it out, even as they exchanged blows. She had never come so close to actually hitting her fiancée before, something was very wrong with him. When one of her hits landed hard enough to throw him back, coughing up blood, Hinata stopped and hurried over to him.

"Sasuke!" she cried, guilt filling her as she quickly tended his wounds. He brushed her hands away and stood.

"I'm fine, let's keep going," he insisted. Hinata bit her lips, her eyes narrowed.

"No. No more training today," she said firmly. Sasuke blinked at her. Hinata had actually sounded rather…snappish there. He stared at her in surprise. She was _annoyed_ with him. He smirked, then immediately regretted it when her anger left, only to be replaced with tears.

"It isn't funny, Sasuke, something is wrong, and you won't tell me what it is…I hate seeing you like this, I want to help…" she trailed off softly, a blush rising to her cheeks, but she held his gaze, hoping her would see how much it hurt her to see him like this. Apparently, he did, because he sighed and looked away. He moved to sit against a tree, and Hinata quietly sat beside him. They didn't say anything for awhile, watching the sun rising higher in the sky and listening to the various sounds of early morning. Off in the distance, Hinata could hear someone shouting at a child, and wondered briefly if it was Iruka-sensei, loosing his temper with one of his more rambunctious students. She sighed and thought of how much had changed since she was at the academy. Well, almost changed, she though as she glanced at Sasuke. He had always been dark and moody, and he still was. They had been engaged for almost a year now, and she had thought he had softened somewhat, become less sad. But now, the old Sasuke was back, surly, moody, and silent.

"I'm having nightmares," Sasuke suddenly said softly, and Hinata stared at him in surprise. He didn't look at her, just continued speaking, his voice hesitant and quiet, "Nightmares of my brother. I see him slaughtering them all over again, every night…" he stopped, and Hinata felt her eyes fill with tears. She leaned up against him, wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her head in his shoulder. She didn't know what to say, and this seemed to be the only support she could give him. She heard him sigh, and felt his arms coming around her. He buried his head in her neck and breathed in deeply, and they stayed like that for awhile.

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That evening Hinata knocked on her cousin's door. At his quiet 'come in' she entered, slowly closing it shut behind. Neji looked up from the scrolls her was reading to see her leaning against it, her eyes troubled as she looked at him.

"What's wrong, Hinata-sama?" he asked softly, setting down the scroll.

"I want to break off my engagement with Sasuke," she said softly. Neji blinked at her.

"What?" he asked, somewhat bewildered.

"It was unfair of me…of all of us…to put him in the position – of forcing him to choose…" she sighed and closed her eyes, trying to find a way to tell her cousin why she felt it necessary to end her engagement without actually revealing _why_. Sasuke was an intensely private individual, and she couldn't tell Neji that her fiancée was having nightmares about the slaughter of his family. She wanted to break off the engagement so that Sasuke could search out his brother, could go back to being the avenger. She didn't think he would ever find peace until he completed his goal of revenge.

Neji watched her silently for a few moments, and Hinata held his gaze, willing him to understand. She was relying on Neji's genius at reading people to see what she could not say, and to support her in her decision. She blinked when her cousin sighed and looked away.

"I understand, Hinata-sama, but I must tell you that I think such a decision would be unwise," he said. Hinata, who had begun to relax at the beginning of his statement, stiffened at the end of it.

"Why? It would free him," she said softly.

"It would destroy him," Neji said coldly, staring at a spot on the floor, his eyes distant. He turned back to his cousin after a few moments and saw her looking at him, confusion evident in the crinkle of her brow and the downward turn of her mouth.

"You give him something to live for, Hinata, something other than hatred and revenge. Do not take that lightly. If you leave him, he will have nothing to hold onto, nothing to anchor him. He will become lost – either his brother will kill him, or his own hatred will destroy him," Neji explained softly. Hinata looked pained at this.

"But I'm not helping him," she said, distressed, "he's not sleeping, he's restless, unhappy – he's can find no peace so long as our engagement exists, as he cannot search out his brother and complete his quest for revenge."

"You think completing that quest will make him happy?" Neji asked. Hinata shook her head, lowering her gaze.

"No. But I think he needs to resolve this – he needs the closure before he can move on. I wish he could let go and be happy with me, but it isn't his nature. He betrayed the village, left his closest friends, all for the chance to defeat his brother. Marrying me will not make him happy, not as long as this hangs over his head," she said.

Neji nodded. There was truth in his cousin's words, he knew. He also knew that Hinata should not end the engagement, and he told her as such once more. Hinata protested, but Neji was firm. He believed himself to be right, and Hinata, not one given to being argumentative, decided to listen to her cousin and let the engagement remain.

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It was twilight when Neji finally found the person he was looking for. Sasuke was sitting on top of the roof of his apartment, staring out at the sunset. Neji, however, knew better than to think it was because the Uchiha had developed a sudden appreciation for the beauty of the setting sun. Rather, the Uchiha's gaze was directed towards the west gates of Konoha, his dark eyes pensive. He didn't turn his head away when Neji sat down beside him.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, not bothering to look at the Hyuuga while waiting for an answer. He was well acquainted with Neji by now, enough to know that the Hyuuga prodigy would give nothing away in his expression.

"To speak with you. Hinata came to me today, she wanted to end your engagement," Neji said calmly without preamble. Sasuke glanced at him briefly before turning to stare out west again. There was silence for a few moments until Sasuke sighed and looked down.

"She might be right," he muttered.

"She isn't," Neji said matter-of-factly. Sasuke glared at him.

"What makes you so sure?"

"The only reason she wanted to break off the engagement was so that you could go back to hunting your brother. It had nothing to do with her feelings for you, or what she wanted. She loves you, and as is typical of Hinata when dealing with the people she loves, she put your desires before her own. In this case, however, it would be a bad decision," Neji said calmly, turning his own white gaze towards the gates.

"Why? It would leave her free to be with someone she really wants, and I can go back to avenging my clan," Sasuke said. Neji glanced briefly at Sasuke before settling his gaze back on the sunset.

"Have you not been listening, Uchiha? Have you not notice the change in my cousin these last few months? She wants to be with you, even if she has not said as much. And you want to be with her. A separation between the two of you would bring unnecessary pain. You might as well just stay together, get married, and start reviving your clan. As to your brother…" he trailed off and Sasuke glared at him.

"What of him?" he asked in a low voice. Neji looked at him, noting the clenched jaw and fisted hands.

"The chances of you living your life without ever coming across your brother are non-existent. Your paths will cross again, of that you can be sure. I suggest you stop actively searching for him, and let him come to you. In the meantime, train yourself constantly in preparation for when you finally do come up against him. Marry my cousin, Uchiha, and start a family – this way you can be sure that, should the battle between you and your brother go wrong, your line will continue," Neji stood up as he finished, and without giving Sasuke any chance to reply, turned and left the same way he had come.

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The next morning Hinata was pleasantly surprised and a little confused when Sasuke, rather than dropping into his typical fighting stance, came up to her and placed his arms around her instead. Such open displays of affection were rare from him, and she quickly settled into his arms, relishing in the feel of it.

"Thank you," he whispered softly in her hair. He didn't say anything else, but he didn't need to. Somehow, Hinata knew what he was trying to say, even if she couldn't articulate it herself. She rested her cheek against his chest, and they stayed like that for a long while.

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Author's Notes: I apologize for the lateness of the update. I'm afraid the updates will be less frequent now, but they will not cease all together, so don't worry.

I'm sorry if the ending makes no sense to people. It was one of those moments where there was a lot Sasuke was trying to say (he loves her, wants to be with her, is grateful that she's accepted him, wants to be with him, is there for him whenever his demons get to be too much, blah blah blah) but could only come up with 'Thank you' and Hinata knows him well enough by now to understand what he was trying to say. I couldn't think of how else to write it, hence the note.

Thanks for reading, and for all the reviews!


	5. Chapter 5: The InBetween Moments

Author's Notes: Sorry 'bout the delay in updating, folks. Here's the next chapter, just some random moments, and a bit introducing what will be the (hopefully) amusing side story to offset the romance and angst.

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Chapter 5: The In-Between Moments

Sasuke's nightmares calmed down somewhat after his discussion with Neji. He thought about it, and decided that there was some wisdom to be had from the Hyuuga genius' words. He let the engagement stand, and stepped up his training, working with Kakashi, Naruto, and Gai. Sasuke believed that these three could help him develop the skills he needed to defeat his brother more effectively than any of the other shinobi.

Unfortunately his new training schedule cut into his old one, and he found that he could no longer spend the mornings training with Hinata. He was disappointed, and scowled when he told her. Hinata just smiled, amused at the look on his face.

"I understand, Sasuke," she said softly, and impulsively took his hand, "besides, Tsunade wants me to increase my hours at the hospital, so it works out all right."

"When will we get to see each other then?" Sasuke asked, his scowl lifting into a slight pout. Hinata refrained from giggling, knowing Sasuke wouldn't appreciate it, and instead squeezed his hand once before dropping it.

"Oh I don't know, but there are always Friday night dinners," she teased softly. Sasuke grimaced at the thought. He didn't particularly like the idea of only getting to see Hinata when in the company of her family. He didn't mind the dinners – if he was honest with himself, he could admit that he was even beginning to like them. Sure, Hanabi was annoying, Hiashi mildly intimidating, and Shiro was a pain in the ass, but…they were a family. And in a year's time, they would be _his_ family.

This thought intimidated him. He didn't know how he felt about suddenly having a family once more, and he usually tried not thinking about it. He told himself that he was only marrying Hinata, not her whole family, but it was difficult to keep that thought in his head when he was dodging Shiro's enthusiastic doggy kisses while scowling at Hanabi's latest insult or cheeky remark.

Sasuke was not pleased at the prospect of only ever seeing Hinata on Friday, so he developed that habit of seeing her after her shifts at the hospital. Whenever she got off, he would be there, and the two of them would head off somewhere to eat. They were both hungry at these meetings, as Hinata just got off work and Sasuke had either finished a mission or training, so it was the logical thing to do. It wasn't entirely logical to stay up as late as they both did, talking and just being together, but neither of them complained, so it just went on.

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Double-date

Sasuke knew this was a bad idea. He glared at the blonde across from him, who was currently trying to get his fiancée to laugh by shoving chopsticks up his nose and pretending to be a sea lion. It didn't help that Hinata was encouraging him by giggling softly into her hand. Sasuke's scowl deepened and he turned his gaze towards the restroom, silently willing Sakura to reappear ASAP.

After a few moments, he was relieved to see a familiar head of pink hair, and smirked as Sakura smacked her boyfriend before sitting back down.

"OWWWWWWWW! Sakura-chaaaaaaaan, what was that for?" Naruto whined as she took her place beside him.

"You were being an idiot. This is a _nice_ restaurant, Naruto – you're going to get us thrown out, _again_, and then what will Hinata and Sasuke think?"

Naruto scowled, but thankfully took the chopsticks out of his nose. Sasuke was relieved – he really liked that food at this place, but if Naruto had kept up his antics, he didn't think he'd be able to eat any of it. He felt a soft, slight touch on his hand, and looked over to see Hinata smiling at him, her eyes shining. This double date had been Sakura's idea, and she had mentioned it to Hinata, who was just as enthusiastic about it, but much more subdued. The two had no problem convincing Naruto about its merit, but Sasuke had been another story. All three of them had cornered him and told him about it, and then Sakura wisely pulled Naruto away to let Hinata work her charm on the Uchiha.

Sasuke had scowled at his fiancée, and told her in no uncertain terms that a double date between the two couples was _never_ going to happen. His resolve crumbled when Hinata looked up at him from beneath her bangs, wringing her hands and saying with her soft, breathy voice _Please Sasuke_. He caved.

As he watched his betrothed smiling, relaxed and happy, he realised that maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

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Carrying a torch

"It's nice to see them so happy," Hinata said softly, walking quietly beside Sasuke. Sasuke glared at her. Somehow, their once-in-a-lifetime double date with Naruto and Sakura had become a once-a-week ritual. That, and Friday night dinners, meant that Sasuke was being more social than…well…ever. It was annoying actually, but for some reason he grudgingly submitted to the ritual.

"He's loved her for so long, ever since we were genin," Hinata mused, her eyes distant, "can you imagine anyone loving someone for so long without encouragement?"

Sasuke stiffened suddenly beside her, and Hinata turned to him, her eyes questioning. He avoided her gaze and continued forward. Hinata wondered what was wrong – something was bothering him, she could tell from the set of his shoulders and tenseness in his jaw.

"Sasuke?" she questioned, curious. He picked up his pace and Hinata almost had to jog to keep up. She let him plough ahead for a few moments before reaching out an arm to stop him. He turned his body to face her, but his eyes still didn't look at her, and Hinata was startled to see that Sasuke wasn't upset, he was…embarrassed. There was a faint flush on his pale cheeks.

"Sasuke," she said again. It wasn't a question this time so much as a soft demand. She wanted to know what was causing this strange behaviour.

"Do you know how old I was when I first noticed you?" he mumbled, looking down now and shoving his hands in his pockets. Hinata blinked, and then answered honestly enough, "No."

"I was twelve. I didn't like you at first," he hastened to add when he saw her surprised look, "but I noticed you. You were always following Naruto around, and I wanted to know why. Then I realized that you had a crush on him, and couldn't figure out why, so I started watching you even more. And then, after a time, I couldn't seem to stop…" he trailed off and stared past her shoulders. Hinata waited patiently for him to continue.

"I liked you before I left Konoha, Hinata," he said softly, "and I still liked you when I came back. I thought about you, when I was with Orochimaru." He fell silent once more, his face clouding over as he thought of his years with the snake sannin. Hinata reached out and took his hands in hers, and Sasuke watched her small hands gently caress his larger ones. She stepped closer to him them, resting her head on his chest, and he breathed deeply, closing his eyes.

"I think I must've loved you, even then," he murmured into her hair. Hinata choked back a soft gasp at the quiet revelation, and then wrapped her arms around his back before lifting up her head to kiss him gently. They embraced quietly for a few moments, before breaking apart and continuing on their way.

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Mission: Matchmaker

Neji glared at the scroll lying in front of him. This was ridiculous. He was the genius of the Hyuuga, he ranked among the top shinobi of the village, and the Hokage had him playing matchmaker to his little cousin's team-mate. Matchmaker. To a guy who had a host of bugs living inside of him. So far, in his research of the females of Konoha, he had yet to encounter one single girl who hadn't gone _ewwwwwwwwwwwwww_ at the sight of a bug. How was he supposed to find one who would willingly marry the heir of the bug wielders?

Neji tucked the scroll away, deciding to ignore it for now. After all, he had five years. He could find a girl for Shino in five years, right?

Neji sighed and put the scroll in his uniform. Perhaps Hinata would have some insights into the rather enigmatic member of her team.

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Coming-out

"Hinata-sama," Neji spoke quietly. Hinata looked up from her work to see her cousin standing in front of her, his face set in the deliberately blank look she knew so well. Both Sasuke and Neji used it when they were unsure about something. She hid a smile and stopped cutting up her herbs for a moment. She wiped her hands on her apron and smiled at him.

"Yes, Neji?" she asked politely.

"Do you think Shino is handsome?" he asked abruptly. Hinata gaped at him. She was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open slightly, but she seemed unable to do anything about that right now.

"I beg you pardon?" she finally managed to ask politely, surely she heard wrong.

"Do you think Shino is handsome?" Neji repeated the question as if it was a perfectly reasonable thing to ask.

"Uh, I'm not really sure," Hinata said softly, not sure what was going on. Neji let out an exasperated snort.

"He's tall, dark, and mysterious. He has a nice voice, good manners, is very intelligent and skilled. Why wouldn't you find him attractive? Surely you think Aburame is handsome, Hinata-sama," he said. Judging from the mild irritation lacing his voice, he was getting annoyed. Hinata decided to just answer his question.

"Yes, I suppose Shino is handsome," she replied honestly enough. Of course, Shino was her friend and team-mate, so her opinion on the subject might be a little biased.

"Do you still find him attractive, despite the bugs?" Neji asked next. Hinata turned back to her herbs, glad to have something sane to do. She was also glad to have a knife in her hand, in case her cousin became unstable.

"I don't mind the bugs. They don't seem so bad, because they are Shino's bugs, and I like Shino," she said quietly, watching Neji out of the corner of her eye. He seemed upset at something. Why was he asking these weird questions about Shino anyway?

"Hmm. Do you know what Shino finds attractive? Would he prefer someone with dark hair?" was the next series of inquiries. Hinata stopped cutting once more and stared at her cousin. He had a contemplative look on his face now.

"I really don't know," she said softly. Neji nodded, his face in its typical stoic mask once more.

"Very well, thank you for your help, Hinata-sama," he said, bowed, and left.

Hinata didn't return to her work right away, instead musing over the conversation. Why was Neji suddenly interested in what Shino liked? And what was with the speech about Shino's good qualities? A sudden idea came to her then, and she flushed. Surely that wasn't it…was it? Neji had never indicated an interest in girls, so it maybe he wasn't interested in girls. Maybe all these questions came about because he was interested…in Shino? Hinata gasped as she stared out the window. That must be it; it was the only logical explanation.

Neji was gay.

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I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but am not sure why. Anywho, hope everyone who reads it enjoys it.

Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6: Rumours

Chapter 6: Rumours

Shino had known his team mates for years. He knew that Hinata liked training in the morning best, and that Kiba had an unnatural fondness for sashimi. He knew that Kiba was afraid of fleas (something he had taken advantage from time to time) and that Hinata only stuttered when she was unsure about something.

"Shino-kun," she asked hesitantly one morning when they were training together. He paused and waited for her to continue. He frowned when she started poking her fingers together, though she couldn't see it.

"Um…uh…I w-was wondering," she stated, her voice whisper soft, "I-I was w-wondering how you felt…how you felt…about…Neji?"

Shino blinked. Finding himself still confused, he blinked once more. Realizing that Hinata was waiting for an answer, Shino opted for being as honest as possible.

"Your cousin is an excellent shinobi, Hinata-sama," he said calmly. Hinata looked disappointed but thanked him regardless. Shino noted her downcast face and wondered what on earth he had said wrong.

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Hinata was exhausted. She had just pulled a double shift at the hospital, and was practically falling asleep in her food. Sasuke watched as his fiancée's eyes dropped lower and lower.

"Come on," he muttered, throwing money down on the table. Hinata blinked suddenly and yawned, cover her mouth with one hand.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," she murmured sleepily, "I can't seem to stay awake."

Sasuke snorted.

"Obviously. You used too much chakra today, and didn't get enough sleep last night," he muttered, annoyed that she had let herself get run down this much. Hinata yawned again, leaning on his arm for support as they left the restaurant.

"I was on a mission for the past few days," she struggled to explain.

"And after that, you agreed to a double shift at the hospital? I though Tsunade treated her ninja better than that," he growled, tempted to give the Hokage a piece of his mind right then. However, Hinata's increasing weight on his shoulder pushed thoughts of maiming Konoha's present leader out of his mind. He glanced down to see her eyes once more at half mast. She really was exhausted. Taking note of where they were in Konoha, and realizing that the Hyuuga manor was on the other side of the village, he made a quick decision.

"Come on, I know a place where you can sleep," he muttered. Hinata just nodded and let him guide her.

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She woke up to a dark, blank room that most definitely wasn't her own. She sat up and almost panicked before remembering that Sasuke had brought her to his place.

"It's closer and you can sleep there. You're about to fall over from exhaustion, so don't argue with me," had been his explanation. Of course, it was delivered in such a way as to leave Hinata no room to disagree, even if she hadn't been dead on her feet. She just nodded and fell gratefully on his futon. She was asleep before she could form another thought.

Yawning now, she got up and headed into the kitchen. Sasuke was preparing breakfast, scowling at the food on the stove. She smiled and giggled when he swore at something. Sasuke turned, and his scowl lifted at the sight of her, hair dishevelled from her night's sleep. It struck him, as she moved into the kitchen to rescue breakfast, that when they were married, he'd see her everyday like this. The thought made the breath catch in his throat.

"Here," she said, handing him a plate. She moved easily in his kitchen, as though she belonged there. Sasuke felt himself becoming dangerously warm, and he attacked his food ferociously, forcing the scowl back onto his face for good measure. He couldn't become too soft, that would just be wrong.

They ate in companionable silence, and he helped her wash up. He didn't want her to go, but decided that asking her to stay a little longer would make him look…needy. He walked her to the door instead, his face set in it's usual impeccable blank stare.

"Thank you, Sasuke, for looking after me, and for letting me sleep here," she murmured, turning on his front step to watch him. He just shrugged, affecting indifference. Hinata smiled suddenly and surprised them both by rising on her tip toes to brush a soft kiss across his lips. She disappeared quickly after that, leaving Sasuke standing at his front door, staring blankly at the spot where she had just been, a faint flush staining his cheeks.

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Shino was walking calmly in the village, covered, as usual, from head to toe regardless of the heat. It was unusually warm for autumn, but that didn't stop Shino from dressing as through it was the middle of winter. After all, bugs liked it hot, and considering they lived inside of him, it was best to keep them happy. His stomach rumbled suddenly, and the bugs hummed underneath his skin at the noise. He made his way over to a food stand and ignored the way people stepped away when he approached. He placed his order quietly, trying to ignore the group of girls on his left who were eying him with something resembling distaste.

"He's kinda cute," one whispered softly. She looked young, probably not even fifteen.

"Ugh, he's the bug boy, Hana, ew," replied one of her friends. Hana's face paled as she muttered that she hadn't known, and the girls watched as Shino paid for his food and left.

"I thought he ate leaves and twigs," he heard one say, and the whole group burst into giggles.

Shino ignored them, they were silly girls who knew nothing of the shinobi way of life. The Aburame clan was a noble one that had defended the village for generations, and he wouldn't let their stupidity impact him. He would just ignore them, as he always did, and pretend that the flush creeping across his cheeks was from the heat.

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"A wife?" Shino asked, his face hidden securely behind his collar. He was glad for that, because he was fairly certain he looked bewildered.

"The elders think you should begin to consider what you might wish for in a mate," his father said calmly.

_Someone who doesn't cringe when I touch them_, was the first thought in Shino's head. He thought briefly of Hinata, one of the only girls who hadn't looked at him with distaste. She had seemed afraid of him when they first met, but she had been afraid of everyone when they had first met, so he didn't think that counted. There were also Ino, Sakura, and Tenten – neither girl had every treated him with repulsion, but that was because they had worked with him and knew him to be a good shinobi. They respected his skills, but he doubted such respect would lead to happiness in a marriage. Besides, they were all spoken for.

His father seemed to wish to say something else, but remained silent. Shino was rather glad. He had never seriously thought about the opposite sex before, except in some vague, abstract sense, and now suddenly, he was suppose to figure out what type of person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He wished the Hyuuga hadn't decided to marry Hinata off so soon – it seemed to have started a trend in Konoha, and not even he was safe from the coupling that seemed to have taken the Rookie Nine by storm.

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Neji entered his uncle's office quietly, curious as to why he was summoned so late in the day. They had already done their training, and he couldn't think of any reason for Hiashi to have to see him. His uncle was staring out the window, hands clasped behind his back.

"Sit down, Neji," he spoke slowly. Neji obediently kneeled on the tatami mats, watching his uncle curiously. Hiashi looked a little...uncomfortable? Neji frowned and wondered what was going on. He didn't have to wait long to find out. Clearing his through, his uncle turned to him.

"You are nineteen now, Neji. It is understandable that you may be having...ideas," his uncle began awkwardly, staring at a spot over Neji's shoulder. Neji stared at him.

"Ideas, Hiashi-sama?" he asked slowly, not sure he understood.

"Yes, ideas...urges. You may be a bit...confused...about what it is you want in life," he continued, "and though I wish for you to make your own choices, you have to remember that you are an important part of the Hyuuga clan, a prestigious and noble line of ninja. It will be your responsibility to continue this line at some point in the future."

Neji blinked. Was Hiashi trying to talk to him about marriage? Neji had just assumed he would be part of an arranged marriage. Maybe that's what this conversation was about, and Neji relaxed a bit, relieved that he had deciphered what his uncle was talking about.

"Now, some of the elders are most displeased at Hinata's chosen betrothed, and therefore we all must be careful. Should you find yourself wanting to experience...any..." Hiashi coughed uncomfortably before continuing, "any...strange desires, I suggest you and your chosen...partner...be most discreet. As for when you marry, should you wish to continue with your rather...unorthodox...urges," Neji went back to staring at his uncle as though he had lost his mind, "then perhaps something can be arranged. I think, though, Neji, that it would be best," here Hiashi looked at him for the first time during the whole conversation "that you try and keep this as quiet as possible."

Neji was silent for a few moments before he realized his uncle had finished.

"Yes, of course Uncle. I would not with to bring shame on our family. I will keep all you said in mind," he murmured, looking to the floor and wondering what the _hell_ Hiashi was talking about. Still, his uncle seemed very pleased by his response, as the Hyuuga head squared his shoulders and dismissed Neji with his usual curt tone. Neji bowed and left, replaying the conversation in his head to try and see if he couldn't puzzle out what his uncle had been on about.

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Sakura was wandering aimlessly through the streets of Konoha, looking at the various wares the shop venders were selling. She was suddenly interrupted when Ino and Tenten came barrelling towards her, grabbed her arms, and dragged her off to a quieter part of town.

"What the!? Ino-pig, what are you doing?" Sakura screeched furiously. Tenten and Ino both let go and turned to face her, their faces serious.

"We have to talk," Tenten said. Sakura felt her anger be replaced with slight concern.

"All right, but just so you know, I'm suppose to meet Naruto here. Unless you want him interrupting you had better make it quick," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"It's about Hinata," Tenten began, "She's...well we think she and Sasuke...that they –"

"They're sleeping together!" Ino interrupted, rather loudly. Tenten glared at her before turning to look at Sakura, who was busy trying not to laugh.

"Oh, honestly Ino. What made you come to that conclusion? I mean honestly, Hinata? You seriously think she'd do something like that? It took her six months before she let Sasuke even really kiss her."

Both Tenten and Ino stared at her.

"Seriously?" Ino asked, wondering how on _earth_ Hinata had managed to restrain herself from jumping all over Sasuke. She couldn't keep her hands off of Shikamaru whenever she saw him, and Sasuke was way hotter, if you went for the angsty emo thing.

"Yeah, she told me, but don't tease her about that, please," Sakura begged.

"Of course we won't tease Hinata," Tenten said, annoyed, "who do you take us for?"

"Sorry, it's just that she's so shy about stuff like this. Which is why I think you guys must be wrong. Hinata is not sleeping with Sasuke."

"No, she is, just listen Sakura: she's been staying out late with him lately, and they are much closer than before, even occasionally displaying affection in pubic – that's a BIG thing for Sasuke," Ino said quickly. Sakura rolled her eyes, though she didn't disagree.

"So? That doesn't mean they're doing it Ino, jeez," she said.

"No, no wait, there's more. Last night, Shikamaru and I saw Sasuke take Hinata to his apartment, and this morning, Hana – you know, the girl we have working part time at the flower shop – she saw Hinata _leave_ Sasuke's apartment. And this was really early in the morning too."

Sakura could feel herself wavering in her resolve, surely not-?

"And she was wearing _the same clothes as she was yesterday!_ I know, because after Hinata left his house, she bumped into Hana and was all flustered and embarrassed, and she said that had to go home and change." Ino finished her explanation, and watched as Sakura's eyes widened.

"Oh my god, they ARE sleeping together!" she exclaimed.

"Who is?" asked a deep voice. The girls turned to see Naruto standing behind them, his hands shoved in his pocket. Tenten spoke before Sakura could stop her.

"Sasuke and Hinata," she said. Sakura slapped herself on the forehead as Ino glared at the dark haired kunoichi.

"You've been hanging around Lee too long, Tenten, he's starting to melt your brain," Ino muttered. Tenten didn't hear, as Naruto, upon hearing her statement, suddenly went from cheerful to seething.

"He WHAT!?" he yelled, drawing the attention of a few people from the street. A few of the wrong people, as both Kiba and Shino entered the scene to see what was happening. Sakura just watched in horror as the situation continued to degenerate.

"Sasuke's sleeping with Hinata!" Naruto wasted no time in relating. Shino stiffened, and Akamaru growled menacingly while Kiba shouted, "I knew it! He was only after Hinata-chan for SEX!"

"Oh god," Sakura groaned as Neji suddenly appeared, his eyes narrowed.

"What was that about, Kiba?" he said coldly. Sakura prayed Kiba wouldn't answer, but she knew it was hopeless.

"Sasuke's taking advantage of YOUR cousin, Hyuuga, aren't you suppose to protect her virtue?"

Neji grabbed Kiba's collar, his bloodline activated.

"Are you suggesting what I think you are?" he hissed.

"Sasuke's sleeping with Hinata-chan, aren't you going to do something about it? 'Cause I sure as hell am," Kiba growled. That seemed to be the key phrase, as all four boys suddenly disappeared in a whirlwind of dust. The three girls stared blankly at each other, their faces pale.

"Oh shit," Ino said.

Tenten and Sakura looked at each other and couldn't help but feel that Ino had summed up the situation quite nicely.

-------------------------

Sasuke was actually rather cheerful as he went about Konoha, picking up supplies. Actually, he was grocery shopping, but 'picking up supplies' was a much more fitting phrase for someone like him. He figured, since Hinata had cooked him breakfast, he should cook her dinner...and maybe she could stay over again, only she wouldn't be so tired, so...his face flushed at the sudden thought and he immediately shoved it out of his head, as Hinata was no where near ready for that step. Still, having her stay over hadn't been that bad, and it was nice seeing her in his home. A small smirk that could almost be called a smile crossed his face, joining the faint remains of the blush.

Unfortunately, it was in this unusually happy and red-faced state that the boys found him. Sasuke stopped walking as he was suddenly surrounded by four of Konoha's top ninja. He stiffened, confused by the overwhelmingly threatening aura coming from all of them.

"Can I help you?" he asked coldly.

Kiba and Akamaru growled in unison behind him while Naruto cracked his knuckles. Shino's bugs were crawling all over his face, and Neji, who was standing in front of him, glared at the Uchiha.

"What have you done to Hinata-sama?" he asked in a low and dangerously quiet voice. Sasuke's temper flared and he glared at the Hyuuga genius.

"I haven't done anything," he replied darkly. Why was everyone always assuming he had done something to the heiress? Gods, was he that threatening? His sharingan activated in response to the growing levels of hostility the other four ninja were displaying.

"Bullshit," Kiba shouted and Akamaru barked in agreement. Neji's eyes narrowed.

"I thought you were honourable, now that you've returned. I thought you would protect Hinata-sama, not take advantage of her," the Hyuuga genius said. Sasuke restrained himself from attacking Neji at that, his anger flaring up even more. How dare he suggest he wouldn't protect Hinata with everything he had! Hinata was everything to him, the only thing that could make him almost smile, the only one he wanted.

"I haven't hurt Hinata in any way," Sasuke growled out, trying desperately to control his temper. He really wanted to hit someone right now, preferably the white eyed idiot standing in front of him, but considering the level of hostility all four ninja were emanating, and considering it was four of Konoha's top level ninja, his odds weren't that great, even if he was better than all of them.

"And besides, who are you to judge me? Didn't you try and kill her when we were twelve?"

Reflecting back on it, Sasuke decided that comment had been what set off the Hyuuga genius, which in turn signalled all four ninja to come at him.

-------------------------

The scuffle that followed would go down in Konoha history as the day when the village was almost destroyed by its very own ninja. When the Hokage made it over to the battle scene, two city blocks were already in ruins. The other ninja were busy trying to get civilians out of harms way, and weren't too keen of getting in the middle of this fight to stop it.

Needless to say, when Tsunade arrived, she was pissed.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" she roared

This had the desired effect of stopping everyone in their tracks. When the dust cleared, she saw Sasuke holding Naruto in a headlock, Akamaru had his teeth sunk into Sasuke's leg, Kiba was on the Avenger's back and seemed to be trying to _strangle_ him, Shino had his arms extended, bugs swarming out of him while Neji was in his gentle fist fighting stance, his hand extended to hit one of Sasuke's vital organs. A very vital organ, Tsunade noticed with a raised eyebrow, if Sasuke wanted to repopulate the Uchiha clan.

"All of you, in my office, now," she said in a deathly quiet voice.

"But Tsunade-" Naruto started to whine.

"NOW!" she roared once more, and all five ninja jumped to obey.

--------------------

The following tongue lashing they all received lasted for fifteen minutes, and everyone in Konoha heard it. When she had finished shouting herself hoarse, Tsunade sat down at her desk, still glaring at the five young men in front of her.

"Now," she said roughly, "care to tell me what this is about?" she asked, looking at Sasuke, as he seemed to be the instigator.

"I didn't do anything," he growled. This prompted the other four to begin shouting protests. Well, Naruto and Kiba shouted, Shino and Neji just stood quietly, their posture reflecting their disgust.

"SILENCE!" she roared once more, and was about to say something more when the door opened and Sakura, Tenten and Ino entered her office, looking very pale. Tsunade's eyebrow twitched.

"Sakura, I'm in the middle of something," she said, anger at her student's impertinence at walking in without knocking written all over her face.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama, I know, but we can explain," Sakura said quickly, and at Tsunade's nod, quickly told her of the events that led up to the fight. When she had finished, Tsunade just stared at her. She turned her gaze to Sasuke, then to the other four ninja in their turn.

"This is about Hinata?" she questioned. They nodded. She turned to Sasuke.

"Did you sleep with Hinata, Sasuke?" she asked. She hid a smile when a slight blush crossed his features.

"No," he practically spat out.

"Liar," Neji said, surprisingly beating Naruto with the accusation. Sasuke glared at him.

"That's rich, coming from you. When are you going to come out, then Neji?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at Shino, "or are you just going to satisfy yourself by stalking the Aburame?"

Neji blinked, confused.

"What the hell on you on about?" he asked.

"Everyone knows your infatuated with the bug boy, Neji, might as well just admit it," Sasuke said coldly, a smirk playing about his face as the Hyuuga's face paled.

"Oh my god, you're gay?" Naruto shouted, pointing a finger at him.

"And you're in love with SHINO!?" Kiba added, staring at him. Shino, who had been standing beside Neji, slowly began to edge away.

It took everything in Tsunade's power to keep a straight face. She turned to Neji herself and raised an eyebrow. The Hyuuga glared at her.

"I'm NOT gay," he said, folding his arms across his chest, "and the Uchiha's only trying to change the subject. I don't think the engagement between him and my cousin should continue, since he obviously can't be trusted."

Sasuke paled.

"You can't do that, it was Hinata's choice," he argued, his eyes narrowed.

"She didn't have much of a choice to begin with," Neji replied coldly.

"Enough!" Tsunade shouted before the two could get in another fight. She continued when she was sure she had their attention. "Sasuke says he did not sleep with Hinata, you four don't believe him. We will simply get Hinata herself in here to tell the truth, and then we will decide what to do. Does this satisfy everyone?" They all nodded, and Tsunade sent for the heiress.

The few minutes wait seemed endless, especially to Sasuke. He was absolutely livid. Why did everyone always assume the worst about him? Sure, he didn't have a great history, but he had come back, he had changed. Okay, so he hadn't changed _that_ much, but he had changed a little. He could feel it – he was lighter somehow, almost happy. He didn't find Konoha nearly as annoying as before, he didn't find _people_ nearly as annoying as before. And he loved Hinata, why couldn't everyone just accept that and stop accusing him of taking advantage of her?

He was interrupted in his musings when the door opened and Hinata entered. She stopped when she saw the amount of people in the Hokage's office.

"You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?" she asked softly, her eyes sending questioning glances to all her friends before landing on her fiancée.

"Yes, Hinata-chan, I wanted to ask you a question. Are you sleeping with Sasuke?"

Hinata's head snapped towards Konoha's leader. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, her face turning from red to purple, then very, very pale. Sasuke suddenly moved towards her and caught her before she could hit the floor in a dead faint.

When she came to, she saw that she was still in the Hokage's office and everyone was staring at her. She was supported gently in Sasuke's arms, and when she recalled why, she buried her head in his shirt, wishing she could just disappear. Sasuke placed a hand on her head and whispered for her to just answer the question quickly.

"No," she whispered, her cheeks red, "we haven't – w-we haven't done anything like that."

"There, does that satisfy you lot? Sasuke's been a gentleman and Hinata's virtue is still intact," the Hokage said wryly, turning to everyone else and conveniently blocking Hinata and Sasuke from their sight.

"Now I just want to say one more thing," she continued, and her eyes narrowed in anger, "Hinata and Sasuke are grown adults and are engaged. What they do or do not do is of no concern to you. I trust them both to be sensible, and you lot, who call yourselves their friends, should do the same. Now get out of here, you have two blocks of city to repair and many apologies to make."

They all filed out of her office except for Sasuke and Hinata. Tsunade sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"You two can take the rest of the day off. Hinata, see to his wounds, maybe take a picnic somewhere or something, away from the village idiots," she said, sitting down. The two nodded and left. As soon as the door closed behind them, Tsunade reached down into her drawer and pulled out a sake bottle. She didn't care what Shizune said, she needed a drink.

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I'm sorry about the lateness, hope it was ok. Seems a bit disjointed to me, but then, this whole story has been very episodic, so I guess it's fitting. Hope it doesn't annoy anyone too badly.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!


	7. Chapter 7: Make Me a Match

**Author's Note**: God help me, I made an OC. I hope she isn't annoying; I really just created her to get the Shino plotline out of the way. This chapter is really just to tie up that loose end – the next few chapters will be all Hinata and Sasuke.

Thanks for all the reviews; you have all been very supportive!

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Chapter 7: Make me a match

Shino entered the Yamanaka flower shop, his hands concealed in the sleeves of his coat. He was here to meet Ino for a mission, and headed towards the counter to let her know he was there. There was no one standing there, but he could sense someone near, an unfamiliar presence. A girl suddenly popped up in front of him and shrieked a little when she saw him. Shino stepped back, startled.

"I'm sorry," she said a little breathlessly, her dark eyes wide, "you startled me." She straightened up and patted her hair before smiling at him at little nervously.

"Welcome to Yamanaka flower shop. How can I help you?" she asked formally, her voice sounding rehearsed. Shino didn't reply, studying her. Her cheeks flushed under his scrutiny and she dropped her gaze, biting her lower lip.

_She's shy_ he immediately deduced. Having known Hinata for so long, he was able to recognize the signs quite clearly.

"I'm here to pick up Ino," he said quietly. Her face lit up in recognition as she nodded eagerly.

"Oh yes, sorry, she's getting ready now – she told me to tell you that she'll be back in a few minutes," the girl said. Shino nodded and began to turn away when the girl's quiet voice stopped him.

"Um, excuse me," she said and he turned back to face her once more. She wasn't looking at him, her gaze focussed instead on the counter. He waited patiently for her continue, his gaze never leaving the top of her dark head. She took a deep breath and raised her eyes to meet his.

"I wanted to apologize to you, Aburame-san," she said. Shino blinked, completely confused, but wasn't left wondering for long.

"The other day, my friends and I were in the market, and they said some...cruel...things about you. They were very rude, and I wanted to say that I'm sorry," she trailed off, her cheeks flushing once more as she dropped her head. Shino blinked, his mind thrown back to that day. Honestly, he had forgotten about it in the events that had followed. He stared at the girl, realizing that she did look familiar. He had thought she was fifteen, but upon closer inspection, he realized that she was likely closer to seventeen. Her slight stature and round, girlish face made her seem younger at first glance. He suddenly looked away when he recalled that she was the one who had thought he was cute. No one had ever said that before about him.

"Thank you," he said, for lack of anything else. She smiled at him then, a happy, relieved smile, and Shino's cheeks reddened slightly. He was very grateful that Ino choose that moment to enter the shop, announcing in her usual brassy tones that she was ready.

"All right, Shino, let's get this over with. Don't worry, Hana-chan, you'll do just fine in the shop. Don't forget – you can call my parents if anything comes up, but I don't think it will. Oh, Shino, have you met Hana? She's working part-time for us, now that I'm getting placed on so many missions," Ino said, all in one breath. Shino nodded once at Hana before following the energetic blonde out the door.

Her name was Hana, and she worked in a flower shop. _How fitting_, he thought to himself.

------------------------------

Neji sat meditating in his room, trying to dispel the frustration that had been building up inside of him for the past few days. Ever since Sasuke had 'outed' him in the Hokage's office, the rumour that he was gay and currently suffering from unrequited love for the Aburame heir had spread throughout the village. It seemed everywhere he went, people were throwing either sympathetic or disgusted looks. He didn't particularly care for all this attention, especially since it was all based on something that wasn't true. Neji had never come so close to harming Konoha's leader as he had that day in Tsunade's office. She had just stood there and _smirked_ at him, fuelling the rumour and doing nothing to dispel it. Neji couldn't do anything about it either, as no one was suppose to know about his 'mission'. And then there was the matter of the mission itself: he had almost given up any hope at all of finding a girl for Shino, until he had encountered the Yamanaka's new flower shop sales girl.

Hana Takahashi was fairly non-descript, albeit rather pretty, girl. She wasn't a ninja, which could potentially become a serious problem. She was also the only girl he had encountered who seemed interested in Shino. She looked young, and the fact that she wasn't a ninja made her act young as well. In her defence, she acted her age: a seventeen year old girl. However, Shino was a ninja, as was Neji and everyone he knew. Being a ninja meant that you grew up faster then a regular teenager, and Neji wasn't sure if Hana was quite ready for an actual relationship. She was probably still daydreaming of happily-ever-afters and prince charming – such things didn't exist, especially when you got involved with shinobi. Neji wasn't quite sure if she was the best choice for Shino, but at the moment, she was the only choice. He would watch her closely over the next few days, and perhaps try and orchestrate a brief encounter between her and Shino, just to see how they reacted towards one another. He would not force this if it turned out not to be a good idea. Shino was a good ninja and a dear friend of Hinata's – if Neji was going to be forced to do this ridiculous mission, then he would do it to the best of his ability and he wasn't going to pair Shino up with just anyone simply so that he could finally rid himself of this mission.

Having decided on this course of action, they Hyuuga genius rose from his meditative stance and proceeded to the Main House, where the weekly Friday night dinner was being held.

He entered the Main House to find that Sasuke had already arrived. He tensed, his face becoming hard. He still hadn't quite forgiven Sasuke for the comment in Tsunade's office about his sexual preferences, and considering all the grief he had been getting the past few days because of said comment, he was feeling particularly hostile towards the Uchiha survivor. Sasuke took his hostility in stride, however, merely nodding in greeting to Neji. Such a display of civility took Neji by surprise, but the Hyuuga quickly surmised that it was because Hinata was standing next to him. His cousin seemed to have considerable sway over the Avenger. Neji had noticed that Sasuke had changed a little since becoming engaged to Hinata, becoming a little less of a bastard. But then Neji was firmly convinced that given enough time, Hinata could change anyone for the better. She had a way about her that seemed to naturally soften anyone's sharp edges, and in a village of shinobi, such a gift was very precious.

He was interrupted from his musings by the suddenly loud entrance of his youngest cousin. Hanabi entered the room where they were all sitting and promptly glomped him. Neji scowled and pried her off, then smirked as she proceeded to glomp the Uchiha, who looked murderous as he tried to throw her off of him.

"Aw, Sasuke-niisan, don't be like that, you know you love me," she said, grinning at him cheekily when he finally managed to get her off. Sasuke, who looked ready to throttle her, stiffened suddenly at the title, his eyes widening ever so slightly in surprise. Hanabi didn't notice as she was busy ruffling Hinata's hair, her eyes laughing at her sister's quiet protest. Once she was finished annoying everyone in the room – which was Hanabi's way of saying hello – she plopped herself down beside Hinata and her smile turned sly as she looked over at Neji.

"So, Neji," she said, "I hear you've been 'outed', and in front of the Hokage no less. I always suspected something – I mean, you're hair is nicer than mine, that can't be normal for a boy."

Neji scowled and was about to retort when Hiashi entered the room. The effect was immediate, much to Neji's relief. Hanabi's face lost its mischievous look as she became quietly respectful, addressing her father politely.

----------------------------

Hinata walked Sasuke to the door once dinner had finished. Hanabi would have accompanied them if Hiashi hadn't wanted to speak with her. Neji had disappeared soon after dinner, not in the mood to deal with anyone, and Hinata could hear the faint sounds of him training in the yard. She and Sasuke were silent when they reached the front door, and Hinata watched her fiancée with a little bit of concern. He had been quiet all evening, which wasn't unusual except for the fact that his silence was more pensive than normal.

"Sasuke? Is everything all right?" she asked softly. Sasuke blinked at her, coming out of his thoughts.

"She called me niisan," he said, sounding a bit confused, "why?"

Hinata blinked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Was that what this was about? Hanabi's comment? She took his hand and laced his fingers together with her own.

"Because in Hanabi's mind, you are as much her brother as Neji is, now that you're marrying me. She cares about you, you know, even if she has a strange way of showing it."

Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes, but his grip on her hand tightened just a little. His face grew thoughtful as he absently rubbed his thumb along the top of her knuckles.

"I really am gaining a family by marrying you, aren't I?" he said softly, his dark eyes surprisingly vulnerable. Hinata smiled softly, and Sasuke caught his breath at the tenderness in her gaze. She had never looked at him like that before, and it was then that he realized Naruto was no longer a threat. The thought made him a little dizzy, and Hinata just made things worse by cupping his cheek with her free hand and kissing him gently on the mouth. It was the first time she had initiated such a kiss, and Sasuke savoured it before deepening it. When they pulled apart, her face was flushed and she shyly looked at the floor. Sasuke wanted to say something, but suddenly seemed unable to form complete sentences. He was saved from trying when Hinata reached up and kissed him again. His eyes drifted shut and his mind was once more turning strangely fuzzy when a piercing _ewwwwwwwwwwwwww_ suddenly rang in his ears.

Hinata pushed him away so fast he almost fell over. Her face was bright red as she stared in mortification at her little sister.

"H-Hanabi!" she squeaked, "What are doing, s-s-sneaking up on us like that?"

Hanabi just rolled her eyes and made a face, coming to stand beside Sasuke, who wanted nothing more than to smack her. He refrained, however, and wasn't entirely sure why.

"Che, as if I _wanted_ to see that, grossness," she declared, wrinkling her nose. Sasuke glared at her, and Hanabi stuck her tongue out at him. The Avenger then surprised everyone, including himself, when he reached out with one hand and playfully yanked on Hanabi's ponytail. The youngest Hyuuga stared at him, as did his fiancée. He ignored it with practiced ease.

"Don't sneak up on us then, brat," he drawled tonelessly. Hanabi blinked before smiling softly at him, and Hinata looked close to tears. Suddenly very uncomfortable with the two girls, both of whose eyes were getting suspiciously bright, Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets, scowled, and left quickly, calling out a disgruntled good night behind him.

------------------------

Neji watched the small tea shop from across the street, carefully concealing all signs of his chakra. He had to take extra precautions in this surveillance mission, as one of his targets was especially adept and noticing things. He suddenly went on high alert as he saw one of his targets sitting down at one of the small tables. It wasn't long before the second one approached, and Neji had to take great care to keep his presence hidden from the Aburame heir.

It had taken no small amount of strategic planning to get Shino and Hana to show up at the same spot. In fact, Neji had to admit it was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do for a mission. At one point he had seriously thought about enlisting Shikamaru's help, but upon reflecting that the Nara was dating Ino, one of the biggest gossips in Konoha, he decided against it. He was sure that Shikamaru wouldn't have betrayed his confidence, but Neji knew it was too big a risk, especially as Ino excelled at uncovering information that was suppose to remain secret.

Neji wasn't expecting much of anything from this 'accidental' meeting. After all, Shino was almost as antisocial as Sasuke (though much less angst-ridden), and Hana, though not nearly as shy as Hinata, was still very timid. So it came both as a surprise and relief when Shino sat down across from the flower shop girl, who blushed but smiled sweetly at the bug user. Nothing more exciting happened after that. Hana and Shino talked quietly about nothing in particular, as far as Neji could tell, and though not entirely comfortable (Hana had yet to look up from her teacup for longer than three seconds and Shino's shoulders were tense), they seemed to be getting along all right. Neji risked getting a little closer so he could hear their conversation, crossing the street and stationing himself in the entrance of the shop next door. Shino and Hana were sitting at one of the tables set up outside, and Neji could hear snatches of their conversation, enough to get a general idea of what they were saying.

Hana and Shino had one cup of tea each before Hana stood, expressing her apologies as she had to get back to work. Shino surprised both her and Neji when he stood as well and quietly asked if she would like to have tea with him again some time? Neji blinked and peeked out to see the back of Shino, shoulders very much tense now, and ears a little bit pink, but it was nothing compared to the cherries blossoming on Hana's cheeks. However, the flower shop girl smiled shyly and nodded, and Shino relaxed. The two teenagers bid each other good bye, Hana heading back towards Yamanaka's. Shino watched her for a moment before suddenly disappearing. Neji blinked, wondering where he went, and then stiffened when he felt a presence behind him.

"What are you doing here, Hyuuga?" Shino asked in a low voice. Neji panicked, wondering how on earth he was going to explain this when an idea entered his head. He winced, but it was the only thing he could think of.

"Stalking the object of my affections," Neji replied, keeping his voice as blank as possible. Shino moved to face him, and Neji was surprised to see the bug user smirking.

"You are not gay. And it is very strange that Hana was at this particular tea shop at this time," he said.

"Convenient for you," Neji said, keeping his voice neutral. Did Shino know...? His question was answered when Shino gave a very slight bow.

"I thank you for your efforts, Hyuuga-san, though I'm sure you disliked this mission as much as I did," he said. Neji blinked.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"I'm not certain, but I believe my father to have been to one to request it," Shino replied and then left. Neji stared after him a moment before muttering something rather rude under his breath and turning to head towards the training grounds. He felt a need to hit something, and wondered absently where Lee was.

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Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!


	8. Chapter 8: Brother in Law

Chapter 8: Brother-in-law

Hinata woke up with a sudden start, her Byakugan activated. Something was wrong, she could feel it. It was hard to pinpoint though as she could see nothing out of place. She deactivated her bloodline and sat up quietly, frowning. Everything was quiet, and nothing appeared wrong – the house was as it had always been in the dead of night: silent and still. She stood up from her futon slowly and shivered slightly. There it was again, a feeling of darkness, colder than the night air, and it brushed against her. She felt her heart rate increase, and forced herself to take a few deep breaths. She was a ninja of Konoha, and would not panic over some silly, imagined fear. She had just resolved to go back to sleep when a sudden soft knock made her jump. She activated her eyes once more and saw her little sister outside the door.

"Sister?" Hanabi called out sleepily, "Can I come in?" Hinata answered by sliding her door open. Hanabi blinked up at her and yawned.

"I'm cold, sister, can I stay with you tonight?" she asked. Hinata nodded, relief filling her. It was a strangely cold night for summer, that must be what had woken her up. And as for the ominous feeling…that was probably just her imagination.

Still, as Hanabi snuggled up to her in the futon, Hinata couldn't help but feel relieved that she wouldn't have to sleep alone tonight.

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Hinata forgot about the ominous feeling when she woke up the next morning. It was hard to believe that something was wrong the sun was shining so brightly. She sighed and stretched, noting that Hanabi was gone. Assuming her little sister had already headed down to breakfast, Hinata rose, got dressed and left her room as well.

Her assumptions were proved correct when she entered the dining room to see Neji, her father and her sister all seated around the table. Hanabi was digging into her meal with gusto whilst her cousin and father ate at a much more sedate pace. Hinata quickly sat down and began to eat as well after quietly telling Hanabi to slow down. Her sister just rolled her eyes and continued to shovel food in her mouth.

"I've gotta eat quick, or I'm going to be late," she said between bites. Hinata sighed, Neji rolled his eyes, and Hiashi frowned. Hanabi ignored all of them, polished off her plate, gave her father a quick kiss on the top of his head and ran out the door before he could reprimand her for her unseemly display of affection. Hinata caught Neji's eyes and they both stifled any sign of amusement at Hiashi's long suffering look.

"I wish you sister would adopt more of you manners, Hinata," Hiashi said quietly. Hinata's head snapped up as she stared at her father, and blush spreading across her cheeks. She quickly looked down, unable to stop the smile from spreading across her face. It was rare that her father said anything remotely complimentary of her when comparing her with her younger sister, and Hinata felt a warmth fill her at this small acknowledgement.

The three of them quietly finished of their meal at a much more relaxed pace, and then went their separate ways. Neji and Hiashi went off to train together, while Hinata headed towards the training grounds. Today was one of the rare mornings when she was able to train with her fiancée, and Hinata was very happy for it. Her gladness at being able to spend the morning with Sasuke, combined with her father's compliment at breakfast, lifted her spirits considerably. As a result, when she met Sasuke, she greeted him with a smile that made him a little weak in the knees. He blushed slightly and looked away from her, clearing his throat.

"Let's get on with it then," he muttered. Hinata nodded cheerfully, the smile not leaving her face.

After training with Sasuke, however, the smile vanished. She had forgotten how strong her intended was, and he hadn't gone easy on her this session. Hinata was sitting with her back against a tree, absolutely exhausted from the workout he had put her through. He sat beside her, much less winded than she.

"You're getting better, but I still don't think you use your Byakugan as well as you could do. Do you ever practice with Neji?" he asked. Hinata shook her head.

"You should start. Sparring with him could be helpful," Sasuke mused. Hinata nodded, not replying. She didn't feel like explaining to Sasuke that Neji had avoided sparring with her ever since the chuunin exams.

"You were sluggish today too, did you not get enough sleep last night?" Sasuke spoke once more, taking a swig of water while he waited for her answer.

"Hanabi woke me up. She was cold and wanted to sleep with me," Hinata explained softly, her mind going back to the strange feeling that had woken her up in the first place. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew that it hadn't been her sister that had startled her awake with her bloodline activated. She shuffled a little close to Sasuke and rested her head on his shoulder, ignoring the vague sense of unease that had suddenly returned.

---------------------------------

Nothing strange happened for the next few weeks. Hinata's days continued as normal – training in mornings, work at the hospital in the afternoons, the occasional mission. Tsunade was trying to work her out of the rotary for missions, as the Hokage figured that once she was married, Sasuke would want to start 'reviving his clan' as soon as possible. She had a bet with Jiraiya that the heiress would be pregnant by the end of the couple's first year of marriage, a bet she was convinced she could actually win, given the way the two lovers seemed to be acting towards each other. Not that there was anything blatant in their actions – they were Hinata Hyuuga and Sasuke Uchiha after all. They didn't even hold hands in public, and their manner towards each other wasn't that much different from their behaviour towards others.

However, Tsunade had noticed that Hinata seemed to be warming up to the Uchiha, standing a little closer to him when walking down the street, occasionally touching his arm or shoulder as a way to get his attention. It was kinda cute, actually. And lately, they had been spending a great deal of time together. In fact, all of their spare time was spent in each other's company.

There was a reason for this, however, and it wasn't a romantic one. At least, not for Hinata. She spent as little time alone as she possibly could because she could never shake the feeling that she was being watched when alone. A few days after her morning sparring session with Sasuke she had been training on her own in the forest, trying to improve her Byakugan. Once more, she felt a sense of unease wash over her, and she cast her eyes, trying to see what it was, and found nothing. She brushed it off, but it wouldn't be the last time that she would get the feeling that she was being watched. Over the next few weeks, the feeling increased in intensity, to the point where Hinata no longer wished to be left alone.

The paranoia was starting to get to her. She was having trouble sleeping at night, and when she did, she had strange, terrifying dreams. She could never remember them when she woke up, all she could recall was the colour red and feeling very cold. Sasuke began to notice the change in her and questioned her about it, but Hinata merely replied that she was having trouble sleeping. She couldn't articulate her fears, for she didn't know what it was she was afraid of. Sasuke had frowned at her answer, but didn't press the issue.

----------------------------

It was a cold December evening when Hinata was startled awake once more. Her Byakugan activated and she quickly scanned her surroundings. This time, she wasn't disappointed, for in the courtyard she could see the figure of her fiancée. Her panic gave way to relief as she rose and left her chambers.

She quickly made her way towards the door leading to the courtyard, wondering why on earth Sasuke had come at this time of night, and why was he skulking in the shadowy courtyard? He knew where she slept; he should have knocked on her window. And how on earth did he get past the guards? She would have to ask him, as father would want to know about any weakness in the defence of the Hyuuga compound.

She entered the dark courtyard and shivered as the cold air bit her skin. Her breath appeared in front of her in soft clouds as she moved towards the blackest section of the grounds, faintly amused at her fiancée's affinity for dark places.

"Sasuke," she called softly as she approached the figure bathed in shadows, "what are you doing here so late?"

"I came to see you," he said softly. Hinata blinked.

"Why?" she asked, a faint flush stealing across her cheeks.

"You said you had trouble sleeping, I thought perhaps I could help," he replied.

Suddenly Hinata went cold. She took a small step back and tried to calm the sudden frantic beating of her heart.

This wasn't Sasuke.

She knew this as well as she knew her own name. She didn't know who was standing before her, but it wasn't her fiancée. And he was dangerous. Very dangerous. She tried to keep her voice normal as she took another half step back, casting her eyes to the ground in what she hoped would be taken for sudden shyness.

"What d-do you m-mean?" she asked, her mind working quickly. The guards must be dead, and no one was awake. Should she scream? She didn't have time to make up her mind because the figure suddenly laughed. She shuddered – she had never heard anything so perverse in her life. It was laugh completely devoid of any feeling whatsoever.

"Well spotted, Hyuuga. Tell me, how did you know I wasn't your Sasuke?" he asked.

"Who are you?" Hinata asked instead, taking another step back. The figure was upon her before she could blink, one arm holding her still while his other hand stopped the scream that was about to fall from her lips.

"Hush now, we don't want to wake anyone up," said the young man standing in front of her. He was tall, and as his illusion fell away, Hinata felt terror welling up inside of her. Indeed, it wasn't Sasuke, but she now understood why she was so easily fooled. Who could better play the part of Sasuke Uchiha than his older brother?

Itachi looked down at her, his face devoid of feeling, and it made Hinata feel slightly ill.

"You are ruining him, Hyuuga. He is suppose to hate, and you are teaching him to love. You are making him weak, and interfering with my plans. I will kill you for this," he stated calmly, and Hinata knew that he would.

"Sister?"

_NO!_

"Sister, what are you doing out here – Sasuke? What are you -?"

Hinata, with a desperation born out of terror for her little sister, lashed out at Itachi, but only managed to free her mouth.

"Hanabi, run!" she yelled, trying to break free.

"Sasuke, let her –" but Hanabi never got to finish the sentence, because Itachi suddenly materialized in front of her. Hinata watched in horror as Hanabi stared up at the eldest Uchiha in bewilderment while he stared down impassively at her. With very little ceremony, he drew his sword and ran the fourteen year old through.

The scream ripped out of Hinata's throat as she watched her little sister fall to the ground, a look of surprised pain crossing her face as her white nightgown became red with blood.

"Hanabi!" Hinata screamed again, and then suddenly, her bloodline was activated. There was no thought, no hesitation, nothing but the overwhelming desire to hurt him, to kill him, and she went after the genius recklessly. Itachi had not expected such violence from the meek heiress. He had been watching her for weeks, and was not greatly impressed by her combat abilities, especially when fighting his little brother. However, having fought with Sasuke, Hinata had the slightest edge. Her fiancée had always accused her of holding back, and now she let everything out. Itachi deflected her blows and threw her back, but Hinata got up and came at him again.

When Itachi head the commotion of the household preparing for battle, and when he noticed Neji Hyuuga running out to the courtyard, he decided that perhaps it was best to make a retreat. He didn't relish the thought of fighting the entire compound, and Hinata Hyuuga had surprised him with the ferocity of her attacks. He disappeared, and Neji barked out orders for a group of Hyuuga members to follow him as they chased after the missing nin.

Hinata's anger left as suddenly as it had come. When Itachi disappeared, so did her bloodlust, and all that was left was fear for her sister's life. She ran over and knelt beside they youngest Hyuuga heir. Hanabi's breathing was shallow, her eyes staring sightlessly ahead of her, and the wound had by now bled enough that it created a pool beneath her. Hinata went to work, trying to stabilize her sister so she could be moved.

"Please, Hanabi, you must fight, don't give up," she murmured, tears welling up in her eyes, but she ferociously blinked them back, pouring chakra into the gaping whole in her sister's chest.

Hanabi just continued to stare up with sightless eyes into the night sky.

---------------------------------------------

Sasuke yawned and tried to tune out Naruto's incessant jabbering. They were just returning from a mission, one that hadn't been particularly difficult but rather tedious and exhausting. All Sasuke wanted to do was shower, eat and sleep. Naruto, the bastard, seemed barely affected at all, still full of energy.

"...think I'll go visit Sakura, she worries you know, though she hides it. Hey, wanna come with? Betcha Hinata is working too, and then maybe we could all go eat..." the blonde trailed off and watched his friend for a reply. However, before Sasuke could speak, Kakashi appeared in front of them, his face uncommonly serious. He stared at Sasuke for a moment, taking in his exhausted appearance.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, suddenly more alert. Kakashi sized him up once more before speaking.

"There's been an attack at the Hyuuga compound," he said. Sasuke stiffened as his whole world suddenly narrowed down to the messenger standing before him. Kakashi's face was as serious as Sasuke had ever seen it.

"Hinata...?" he couldn't finish his question, his heart suddenly in his throat.

"She's at the hospital..." Kakashi trailed off and watched as Sasuke disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto stared at the spot where his friend had just been standing, and then looked at Kakashi, blue eyes worried.

"Is Hinata-chan all right?" he asked.

"Hinata is fine, Sasuke just likes to assume the worst," Kakashi said calmly. Naruto exploded.

"That's a load of crap, you just wanted to get him worked up!" Naruto shouted, pointing an accusing finger at his former sensei. Kakashi just let his eye curve down in what passed as his sheepish expression before he, too, disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto glared at the spot for a moment, then stamped off alone towards the hospital.

By the time the blonde arrived, Sasuke was holding an exhausted Hinata while glaring at Kakashi, who was ignoring him by leaning against the wall reading his favourite orange book.

Naruto sat beside his best friend and spoke to Hinata.

"What happened Hinata-chan?" he asked. Kakashi answered for her.

"There was an attack on the Hyuuga compound and her sister was severely injured," Kakashi said, turning a page in his book.

"Who attacked?"

"Can't say, Hokage's orders." Kakashi replied once more. Hinata just turned her head into Sasuke's chest, which prompted the Uchiha to glare at him. Naruto sighed and tried to keep quiet. Thankfully, Sakura came out not long afterwards, and Naruto jumped up.

"Sakura! Is Hinata's sister all right?" he asked. Hinata looked up and everyone's attention was suddenly riveted on the young medic nin.

"Hai, Hanabi will be fine," Sakura said wearily. Hinata sagged with relief, and then stiffened when Sakura continued, "The Hokage wants to see all of you in her office, right now."

Naruto looked at Kakashi, who put his book away, once more staring at Sasuke. Naruto followed his gaze, but could see nothing wrong with his friend, who was helping Hinata to her feet. The heiress avoided everyone's gaze as the headed towards Tsunade's office.

"Good, you're all here," she said when they trudged in, one by one. Her face was serious, and Naruto was about to open his mouth to ask, loudly, what exactly was going on when Kakashi grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back by the door. Naruto glared at him, but his expression changed to one of surprise when he saw Kakashi's sombre expression.

"We stand here," he murmured quietly, and put his book away. Sakura and Shizune took up positions by the windows, and Naruto realized that all the exits were now blocked. A chill ran down his spine, and for some reason, his eyes went to the back of Sasuke's head.

"There's no point in trying to keep this a secret from you lot," Tsunade began, but her eyes never left Sasuke. Without breaking eye contact with the Avenger, she spoke to Hinata. "Hinata, I want you to tell everyone here what happened. Leave nothing out," and she sat down behind her desk, her hands folded in front of her.

"Something had woken me up late last night, and when I activated my Byakugan to see what it was, I saw Sasuke in the courtyard," Hinata began softly, her voice mechanical. "When I went to investigate, I discovered that it wasn't really him," she stopped and her hand went to her fiancée's sleeve as she choked on the next part, "It was his brother, Uchiha Itachi."

Silence descended over the room, and Naruto suddenly realized why Kakashi had been trailing after them and why Tsunade had all the exits out of her office covered. Naruto straightened, watching as Sasuke's back and shoulders stiffened.

"What?" he whispered, and Naruto saw Sakura wince. He didn't blame her. Although he couldn't see his friend's face, he knew that tone of voice. He had hoped he'd never have to hear Sasuke so cold again.

"It was your brother. H-he came after me, he said I was destroying you, that he wanted you to hate, not l-l-love. He was going to kill me when H-H-Hanabi came out and then he...then he..." Hinata stopped and swallowed hard, tears brimming in her eyes as she saw her little sister fall once more, blood pouring out of her chest, "he stabbed her."

"Then what happened?" Tsunade asked calmly, her eyes glittering as she watched Sasuke. Hinata took a deep breath and straightened herself, though her hand never left Sasuke's sleeve.

"We fought," she said simply, and Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura all started. Hinata had fought Itachi? And she wasn't dead?  
"I was no match for him, he threw me off, but by that time the compound had been alerted to his presence, and he left. Neji followed, but I don't know if he found him."

"He didn't. He has just returned. They lost the trail about five kilometres west of here." Tsunade said, still staring at Sasuke. The Avenger was still for a moment, and Naruto didn't think he'd ever been in an atmosphere so tense. Hinata turned and looked up at Sasuke, her expression worried and questioning. Her white eyes anxiously searched his face, and Naruto wondered what she saw there. Despite having known Sasuke, really known him, for only a year and a half, she was remarkably adept at reading him. Whatever she saw didn't make her feel better, Naruto could see that, and he tensed, wondering whether his friend would make a break for it.

However, Sasuke surprised them all by reaching for Hinata's hand that was still attached to his sleeve. He squeezed it slightly before letting go, and his back and shoulders relaxed.

"I'm not going to run away, if that's what you all think," he spoke, lowering his head to his hair covered his face. "I made a promise to Hinata's father, and I refuse to break it, no matter how much I want to."

Tsunade stared at him in surprise before clearing her throat.

"Well then, Uchiha, I guess you can go. Take Hinata home, she needs some rest," and she nodded at Kakashi and Naruto to let them through. Naruto studied Sasuke's face as he walked passed, and didn't like what he saw. Sasuke had been acting more human and less like a block of ice ever since Hinata had entered his life, but now Naruto saw the same cold, impassive bastard he had grown up with. His brow furrowed as he shot a questioning glance at Tsunade. She waited until the door shut behind the two of them.

"Kakashi, watch him. Sakura and Naruto, keep a close eye one him whenever you can. I honestly don't know if he was lying or telling the truth just now, but I don't want him running off without my permission, got it?" she said. All three of them nodded, and Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke while Sakura and Naruto headed outside.

------------------

There was a time when Sakura would've given anything to be in Hinata's place as the object of Sasuke's affections. However, after watching her two friends this past week, she found herself unbelievably grateful to have chosen Naruto instead. She always knew Sasuke could be intense and obsessive, but this was getting ridiculous.

He followed Hinata _everywhere_.

The poor girl was unable to continue her medical studies and work at the hospital, as both required access to confidential information and restricted areas, and Sasuke refused to let the girl out of his sight. The medical staff, Naruto, Sakura, and even Tsunade had tried to convince him to let up on the surveillance, but he just glared at them all so fiercely that it even deterred the Hokage from requesting it again. He was no longer accepting missions, and wasn't sleeping at home. He spent every night outside of Hinata's window keeping up his never-ending vigilance. Hiashi didn't seem to mind this sudden protectiveness, and instead of helping Tsunade by ordering the Uchiha to stop stalking his daughter, he even added his own type of protection.

Tsunade was at her wits end. Sasuke was off the duty roster, refusing even the simplest and shortest missions, and Hiashi, after hearing about the attack on his two daughters, and realizing who exactly was after his eldest, had taken Neji and two other high ranking Hyuuga off of the duty roster, and placed them instead around his daughter. When Tsunade had protested at the loss of one of her best ANBU captains, Hiashi had responded coolly that Neji's first priority always was and would be the protection of Hinata.

All this meant that poor Hinata couldn't go anywhere without being trailed by at least two very scary bodyguards.

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**Author's Note: **Yeah, k, sorry 'bout the wait. The Itachi issue will be more fully resolved next chapter, which incidentally, will also be the last chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed this one – thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9: Finale

Chapter 9: Finale

Sakura sighed as she saw Hinata walking down the street, escorted by Neji and Sasuke. Each had taken up position on either side of the heiress, and as a result took up quite a bit of space. It didn't really matter though, as most people who saw them coming scurried quickly out of the way. Sakura once more felt a pang of pity for Hinata, and tugged on her boyfriend's hand.

"Come on, Naruto," she said, pulling him towards the three. "Let's go say hi to Hinata-chan."

"Yeah, hey, d'you think her guard dogs will let her have lunch with us?" Naruto asked, following her. Sakura shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. Unlikely, probably. I wish they would though, it's been ages since I've talked with Hinata. She hasn't made it to the weekly kunoichi meetings, she must be missing us."

"Well, she can't be that lonely, can she? I mean, she has Sasuke and Neji around her all the time." Naruto pointed out. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"They aren't _girls_," she said exasperated, "and a girl needs the company of other females once in a while."

Naruto didn't quite understandthis, but he didn't say anything. Dating Sakura the last year had taught him many things, not the least of which that it was often best to let the pink haired medic nin have the last say.

They walked up to the trio and greeted Hinata warmly. Sakura frowned at the heiress's appearance. Hinata's face was paler than usual and she had dark circles under her eyes. She didn't comment though, and instead watched the heiress closely as Naruto extended an invitation to the three of them for lunch. Hinata brightened momentarily, but her face fell when Sasuke said no.

"What do you mean, no!?" Naruto asked. "Come on, Sasuke, don't be a bastard. It's just lunch at Ichiraku's with Sakura and me, nothing will happen to Hinata," he tried to persuade the stubborn Uchiha that it wasn't a big deal. Sasuke remained adamant though, and Sakura watched in surprise as Hinata rolled her eyes in exasperation. The action was something Sakura had never seen the heiress perform before.

"Hinata, do you want to have lunch with us?" Sakura asked. Hinata sighed.

"Yes, but my faithful bodyguards wouldn't know how to handle it," the heiress said testily. Both Sakura and Naruto stared at the heiress upon hearing her clipped tone. Was Hinata actually...annoyed? Sakura glanced and Neji, who looked a little ashamed and avoided her gaze. She turned to look at Sasuke, who was directing a glare at Hinata, who, surprisingly, was glaring back. Sakura blinked and shared a bewildered look with Naruto.

"It's for your protection," Sasuke muttered, and Sakura was shocked at how angry he sounded. Sasuke, in all the time she had known him, had never shown any signs of anger towards Hinata, not like this. And Hinata had never shown any signs of anger towards _anyone_, let alone her fiancée. She coughed discreetly and tugged on Naruto's hand, sensing that it was best to leave the suddenly tense atmosphere.

"Well, if you change you mind, you know where to find us," she said with forced cheerfulness. Neji shot the couple a despairing look as they left, knowing that he was about to unwillingly become an audience to another quarrel between the two next to him.

Sure enough, Hinata and Sasuke started up a furious whispered argument. Their voices were never raised, but the pace they were walking at suddenly increased. Neji held back a little and let the couple move on ahead of him, his face grim. The arguments were increasing in frequency lately, which was causing him great concern. Hinata-sama was starting to chaff under the pressure of being shadowed every hour of every day, and Sasuke wasn't getting the sleep he needed. That was all his fault though, as the Avenger still insisted on staying outside Hinata's bedroom window. Hinata had suggested on Friday night that Sasuke stay in the house, but Sasuke declared that he would only do that if he could stay in her room, at which point Hiashi had choked on his food and glared so hard at the Uchiha that Sasuke had actually looked away and swallowed nervously. The Head of the Hyuuga then declared that there was no way in _hell_ that his daughter's fiancée was sharing her room before they were lawfully wedded, and the rest of the dinner was spent in tense silence, except for Hanabi, who looked amused by the whole thing.

Neji sighed as he saw Hinata fold her arms across her chest and clench her mouth shut. The couple walked the rest of the way to the compound in terse silence, and Neji resolved to speak to Hiashi as soon as possible. If this kept up, he was fairly certain that any feelings Hinata was developing for Sasuke would soon be squashed under her frustration at her current situation.

--------------------------------

Sasuke tucked his hands under his head and watched as the stars slowly came out, one by one. He shifted his eyes to Hinata's window and watched until the light went out. Satisfied that she was going to sleep, he turned his gaze back up to the night sky without really seeing it. Instead, his thoughts turned inward as he replayed their argument over in his head. He felt a little guilty, which made him angry. It took a lot for him to feel remorse, and he hated that Hinata managed it quite easily. All she had to do was give him the cold shoulder for an afternoon to make him feel like a jerk.

He sighed and turned over. He didn't like arguing with her, he just wished she would understand. He was desperate to protect her, he _had_ to be with her at all times. Even now, lying under her window wasn't enough. He wanted to be in her room, staring at her, making sure she was safe and warm and _alive_. He hadn't been sleeping well, being constantly plagued by nightmares of his families' death. Only instead of his parents, Sasuke had to watch as Itachi ran his sword though Hinata again and again and _again_. He clenched his teeth in frustration, forcing himself to drive the images out of his head.

Sasuke knew she was frustrated and tired of his over-protectiveness. He didn't blame her really. His constant vigilance added to the protection her father gave her by way of Neji would be enough to drive anyone mad. He was actually surprised that she had managed so well. Even now, though he knew she was annoyed, he also knew that she would forgive him. Until tomorrow, when his presence prevented her from another activity she wanted to do, in which case the argument from today would repeat itself, only this time her anger would last a little longer. She was approaching the end of her patience, something that Sasuke didn't even think possible. He had thought Hinata to have endless amounts of patience, but this situation was proving him wrong. It didn't help that she wasn't sleeping well. Often he would startle awake, kunai pulled before he realised it was the light in her room that had woken him up. She would open the window and lean out, staring at him on the ground beneath. He always stared back until she sighed and pulled back, closing the window once more. The light would remain on, however, signalling to him that she wasn't getting any more sleep than he was.

--------------------------------

Hiashi stared at the scroll in front of him as he contemplated the decision it represented. He firmly believed that he had been right in asking Sasuke to give up his quest for vengeance to win Hinata's hand. Now, however, circumstances had altered. He frowned, and suddenly a picture of Hinata when she was little came to his mind, and he remembered how she would cling to his robes and hide her face in his leg. She knew then that he would protect her, he was her otousan. She was a woman now, engaged and about to leave his protection and start a new life. She hadn't been that little girl for awhile now.

Hiashi picked up the scroll and deliberately moved it over the flame of the candle. The fire licked at the parchment before seizing hold to consume it completely. Hiashi let the parchment fall into the rubbish bin and watched until it remained nothing but ashes. She may not be his little girl anymore, but she was still his daughter, and he would protect her in whatever way he could.

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All of Konoha was quiet. It was so early that the sun hadn't even made an appearance. Instead, it was the soft grey light of predawn that illuminated the still streets. Of course, Konoha was a Hidden Village, its shinobi some of the best in the land. Maito Gai could be seen with his mini-me, Rock Lee, both of them doing laps around the village, keeping their normal exuberance to a minimum so as not to wake the sleeping inhabitants. Umino Iruka was busy in his small apartment, drinking coffee while running through today's lesson plan in his head. And in the Hyuuga compound, Neji went outside to train only to find that Sasuke's typical sleeping spot underneath Hinata's window was empty. He paused, and quickly activated his Byukagen. The last thing he needed was for Sasuke to be in his cousin's room, Hiashi would have a fit. However, the only person in Hinata's room was Hinata herself, sleeping, and Neji wondered what on earth could have pulled Sasuke away.

It had been early when Sasuke woke from his light sleep to see Hiashi Hyuuga standing not too far away from him. He had risen and stared at the Head of the Hyuuga, who had simply stared back. Sasuke blinked when Hiashi looked away first, his face impassive.

"The Hokage and I wish to speak with you," was all he said, and then he was gone. Sasuke glanced briefly up to Hinata's window before following her father the Hokage's tower.

The building had been quiet as he walked through, and Shizune wasted no time in ushering him into Tsunade's office. She was seated at her desk, with Hiashi on her left. Sasuke stood quietly in front of her, watching her closely.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you have been assigned to an S-class mission," she stated, folding her hands in front of her and leaning forward, "you are to find and kill Uchiha Itachi."

Sasuke blinked once and then looked down, a frown marring his features. For a few moments he was silent, then he looked up, directing his gaze towards Hiashi.

"I must decline," he said calmly. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at this. Sasuke looked very...steady. She thought she'd at least see an angry tick, clenched jaw or fist, anything to show the internal struggle that he must be going through, but there was nothing. Tsunade knew then that over the past year and a half, Uchiha Sasuke had changed in some way. She frowned briefly, wondering how that would affect his performance as a shinobi.

"You may not decline," she said, eyes narrowing angrily.

"Hokage-sama, I have made a promise-"

"-that has been revoked," she finished. Sasuke looked at Hiashi in surprise.

"I have destroyed the document, Sasuke," he said by way of explanation.

"Why?" Sasuke asked, angry. His decision had not been easy, and for months he had wondered if he had done the right thing. Now, after he had finally let go of his brother, Hiashi stood there and told him he destroyed it, and the Hokage was telling him to go and fulfill the quest he had given up on. He wanted to howl in frustration at these people and their mixed signals.

"Because Hinata's safety and future are only secure if your brother is dead, and you are the only one who could kill him." Hiashi said quietly, "This is no longer about vengeance, Sasuke. It is about protecting someone precious to us both."

Sasuke stared at him, and even Tsunade looked mildly surprise at the sentiment that Hiashi had revealed with that sentence. Sasuke looked down once more at the floor, his mind chewing on the words Hiashi had just spoken.

_Kill my brother to protect someone precious_, he thought. The rage and hatred that usually accompanied thoughts of his brother was strangely absent as he thought of the mission, his mind already planning on how to execute it. He would need a partner, perhaps two... He felt strangely detached as he thought it over, as though Itachi was just another threat to Konoha that needed to be eliminate, and not the one who had destroyed his childhood and screwed up his life. He wondered at this sudden zen-like calmness, but ignored it and looked up.

"I accept on the condition that I go in a three man team," he said. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at this. Really, this morning was just full of surprises. Hiashi revealing that he actually _cared_ about his daughter, Sasuke not going into angst ridden genius mode at the mention of his brother, and instead acting sensibly by asking for a team to help with the mission. What was next, she wondered idly, Kakashi giving up his porn?

"You can take one other shinobi of your choosing, I can't spare anymore than that," she said. Sasuke nodded and Tsunade dismissed him curtly. Hiashi stayed only to offer his gratitude at her assistance and understanding before he took his own leave, and Tsunade was left alone in her office. She reached down into her desk drawer for her sake bottle, only to find it empty. She pouted and glared as Shizune walked in, piles of paper work in her arms.

"It's too early for sake, Tsunade-sama," she declared, her voice leaving no room for argument, "but it is an excellent time to get caught up on all your paperwork."

Tsunade glared and valiantly resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at her assistant.

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Naruto was dreaming. It was a weird dream, but a nice one, as it consisted of two of the things he loved most in the world – Ramen and Sakura. He was rudely pulled from it when something heavy shoved him off of his bed.

"OW, what the HELL?" he shouted, glaring up at his bed. Sasuke sat on it, his face calm.

"Wake up dobe," he said, idly picking at some non-existent lint on his shirt.

"Damn it Sasuke-bastard, what the hell is wrong with you!?" Naruto shouted, pulling himself off of the floor. He almost fell down again when his feet got tangled in the sheets he had pulled down with him. Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"I have a mission," he said, and the thought of what the mission was sobered him.

"So?" Naruto grumbled, still trying to detangle himself.

"I have to find and kill Itachi," that got Naruto's attention, and the blonde stilled as he looked at his friend.

"Tsunade said I could take one other shinobi with me," Sasuke continued, watching his friend. Naruto stared at him seriously for a moment before grinning.

"When do we leave?" he asked. Sasuke looked at him, taking in the pajama pants, ratty t-shirt, and stupid frog nightcap. He wondered if it was the right decision to take Naruto with him, but upon further reflection, realized he didn't really want anyone else.

"As soon as possible," he said, moving off the bed and standing.

"K, but let me say good-bye to Sakura, all right? And you should see Hinata first as well," Naruto said.

"Hn," was all Sasuke said as he exited through the window, leaving Naruto mumbling about 'closed mouthed, emotionally constipated bastards' to an empty room.

--------------------------------

Sasuke didn't waste any time returning to the Hyuuga compound. He entered with little difficulty, the guards knowing him quite well by now. He pause at the gates so they could scan him with their all seeing eyes, answered the required questions, and then proceeded to his typical spot underneath Hinata's window. He didn't feel like traipsing through the house, not when he knew where his fiancée's room was. It was much easier just climbing through the window, and he did just that.

Hinata had woken up from a less than restful sleep not too long ago, and had decided against lounging in bed. Instead, she had risen and showered, and was now currently standing in her room trying to decide what to wear, which of course, meant she was wearing practically nothing. Sasuke froze when he entered to see her standing in front of her dresser, hair still dripping water down her back. He knew he should move, look away, clear his throat, but it was suddenly difficult to do anything with Hinata standing quietly in front of him, clothed only in her underthings. His mind kept replaying a certain fantasy over and over in his head, like a broken record. Him, coming to say goodbye to her before he left on a dangerous and deadly mission (check), she clad in very little (check)...she sensed his presence and stiffened (check) and it seemed now as if she turned in slow motion – she would see him, know something was wrong, and when he told her, her eyes would fill with tears and she'd throw herself in his arms, whispering that she loved him, and then kiss him...

Of course, it didn't happen like that. Hinata stiffened and turned when she felt his presence behind her. When she saw it was Sasuke, she didn't immediately guess that something was wrong and throw herself at him. Instead, she gave a muffled shriek, her face blossoming red in mortification. She grabbed her hairbrush and threw it him hard enough to leave a mark. That was enough to wake the Avenger from his Hinata-induced daze, and he frowned, looking away and rubbing his forehead, a faint blush covering his own cheeks. _So much for fantasies_...he thought morosely as Hinata quickly changed into her clothes while whispering apologies.

"S-sorry, Sasuke, I didn't mean to throw it so hard, but you s-startled me, and – what are you doing here anyway?" she asked, voice muffled as she pull a sweater over her head. Sasuke glanced back briefly, and seeing her fully clothed turned to face her fully, face composed. She seemed remorseful but also very annoyed, and Sasuke wondered how on earth he managed to be the only one able to annoy the otherwise passive and gentle heiress.

"I have a mission. S-class, location and assassination," he explained briefly, staring at her shoulder rather than her face. He couldn't tell her more than that. He had been wrong to tell her even this much – you just didn't mention S-class missions at all when you were assigned one. However, Sasuke thought it wouldn't really matter. It involved Hinata in a round-about way, and besides, it was his brother.

Hinata's anger left as quickly as it had come. She forgot her previous embarrassment when she saw Sasuke's face. She studied him for a few moments, an awful suspicion forming in her mind. She knew she shouldn't ask, it wasn't allowed, but she had to know.

"Is it your brother?" she asked softly, moving to stand in front of him. Sasuke nodded mutely, and Hinata looked down, suddenly feeling very cold inside.

"How long?" she asked softly.

"As long as it takes," he replied. She looked up at him, her eyes sad and scared. Sasuke reached out and brushed a few wet strands of hair away from her cheek, his eyes softening.

"We're getting married in eight months," she whispered, her eyes asking the question that she wasn't able to voice.

"I'll be back for the wedding," he said calmly and dropped his hand, glancing towards the window and the sky outside. "I should get going, Naruto will be waiting-" he was cut off abruptly when Hinata suddenly threw her arms around him, just like in his fantasy. Only she was crying, silently shaking, and Sasuke wrapped his own arms around her, not wanting to leave but knowing he must. He felt awful, something which hadn't been a part of the fantasy at all, and he supposed that was what made this real, the ache inside him. Hinata clung to him tightly, shaking from tears, and knew she should tell him how important he was to her, one of her precious people now, but she wasn't sure how. Sasuke spoke before she could figure it out.

"I promise you I'll be back for the wedding," he pulled back, framing her face with his hands and forcing her to look at him, "I will marry you, Hinata Hyuuga."

Hinata nodded, and he kissed her then left, and Hinata was alone, hugging herself as she watched the sun rising slowly in the sky.

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Weeks passed. Hinata was no longer shadowed twenty-four seven as her most diligent bodyguard was no longer in the village. She returned to her medical studies and duties once more, throwing herself into her work to try and keep the loneliness at bay.

She missed Sasuke.

She missed seeing him every day after she finished work, she missed training with him, she missed his scowling face at Friday night dinners, his strange compliments that were usually disguised in the form of insults. She missed being held by him, missed the way he would look at her, the way his voice and face softened when she had unknowingly done something to please him. She missed his weird, practically non-existent sense of humour, missed the way he stared at her sometimes, almost as though he could devour her with his dark eyes, she missed his mouth and the way his kisses tasted faintly of mint. She missed _him._

In the first few weeks that he was gone, Hinata cried herself to sleep almost every night. The ache inside her seemed so deep. She didn't know how long she would have gone on, wallowing in her depression, if it hadn't been for Sakura.

Sakura missed Naruto as much as Hinata missed Sasuke, the heiress was sure of this. However, Sakura, true to form, put on a brave and smiling face and threw herself into her work. She and Hinata often had to work together, and Hinata started coming to Sakura for help with her own medical training, as Sakura was much further along then herself. Pretty soon, the two kunoichi could almost always be seen in the presence of each other. They had been friends before, but as the absence of Naruto and Sasuke extended from weeks into a month, and then another, they became something like sisters. Sakura found relief being in Hinata's company, as she could drop her mask and let her worry and sadness for Naruto shine through. Hinata, under the influence of Sakura, seemed to gain new strength and a little confidence, something that she would need very soon.

The elders were smart. They waited until Neji was out of the village before announcing that there was to be a family meeting with the Heads and Hinata to discuss her engagement. Apparently, they saw the Uchiha's absence as a poor reflection on his suitability for Hinata. Hiashi could do nothing for his daughter, not this time. Neji was gone and could not argue for her, and Hanabi was still too young for her opinion to carry any weight with the council. Hinata was entirely on her own.

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Hinata stood with her head bowed before the council, listening to their voices wash over her. She was exhausted. She had just come from a double shift at the hospital, and all she wanted to was shower, eat, and then sleep for a day. However, upon entering her home, she discovered the elders had other ideas. She had just slipped off her sandals when a servant had shown up and announced that she was wanted in the council chambers. Hanabi had been waiting outside the chamber doors, but Hinata barely had time to send her sister a questioning glance before she was ushered inside.

She had struggled to follow the discussion going on before her, but it seemed to consist of a great deal of nothing. There was much said on the honour of the family, their genealogy, their importance to the village, the purity of their bloodline, and Hinata was wondering what on earth any of this had to do with her. She struggled to focus on the rather verbose discussion going on around her.

"…protection, reliability, honour, dedication must be the mark of the Hyuuga and all who would seek to make themselves a part of this noble clan…"

_Wait a minute_, Hinata thought, her stomach sinking in dread.

"…despite his reasons, still untrustworthy, power-hungry. His brother destroyed his clan, what is to stop him from doing the same to us?"

_What!?_

"…certainly clear that the engagement between Hinata and the Uchiha must come at an end. He is not here to uphold his claim, that in itself is telling-"

"No!" Hinata said suddenly, raising her head. The eyes of the council turned to her, but she resisted the urge to look back down. She ignored the old feelings of inferiority and fear that threatened to take a hold of her, and instead focussed on her anger at what they had said concerning her fiancée.

"You have something to say, Hinata-sama?" Yuske asked, sneering at her slightly. Hinata almost dropped her head at his cold gaze, but didn't. She felt her cheeks flush red from embarrassment, but forced herself to speak.

"Yes. Sasuke is my fiancée. He and I have agreed to be married, and have entered into a contract together. I will not betray him, nor will I fail in fulfilling that contract."

"If it is the contract that is worrying you, you need not fear. Hiashi-sama has torn up the agreement between you and the Uchiha. You will not be bringing dishonour to the clan by breaking the engagement. In fact, breaking the engagement may be the first action you have ever done that will bring us honour."

Hinata couldn't stop the flinch that crossed her face, and Yuske smiled wickedly, knowing he had hit his mark and continued.

"You have disgraced us so often in the past Hinata-sama, take this opportunity to fix your mistakes. It may be the first step in repairing the damage you have done,"

"That's enough, Yuske," Hiroko said, her eyes angry, but fell silent when Hinata raised her hand. Everyone's eyes watched in fascination as Hinata stared at Yuske, her expression calm. She was shaking inside from anger and nervousness, but she forced her face to remain impassive. She remembered something Sakura had told her once – if you don't feel confident, just fake it. Hinata repeated this words in her head as she stared down the Hyuuga elders.

"I will not bring dishonour to the family by marrying Sasuke," she said softly, her eyes steely with her resolve. Hiroko raised an eyebrow at the determination written all over the girl's face, and struggled to keep the smile off of her own face.

"Indeed," the female elder said. Yuske narrowed his eyes at the heiress standing before him.

"And if we insist?"

"If you insist, you will loose the support of the Branch Family and the future head of the Hyuuga, not to mention fall into ill favour with the Hokage, both present and future. Neither Neji, Hanabi, my father, or Tsunade-sama wish to see my engagement with Sasuke broken off. Uzumaki Naruto, who is almost certain to be the next Hokage, is also the best friend of Sasuke. Do you think he will look kindly on the Hyuuga when he learns of their interference in his best friend's personnel affairs?"

Hinata stopped there, afraid that she was starting to ramble. Her cheeks were still flaming, and she nervously waited for some reaction to what she had said. The council sat in shocked silence at her speech. They had never heard her speak so much at once, without a stutter and with such conviction.

"Well said, Hinata," Hiroko said, smiling softly. Hinata blinked at the unexpected praise. "You shall marry your Uchiha, since you seem to be so fond of him," and the old lady rose up, and the rest of the council took their cue from her. Hinata watched as the session was formally brought to a close, Yuske scowling the entire time, and then the elders filed one-by-one out of the chambers. She was shaken from her daze by an excited squeal and then Hanabi threw herself at Hinata, causing her older sister to stumble a little.

"Sister, you were so _awesome_!" the fourteen year old said, "The way you told off old man Yuske was brilliant, he looked so mad!"

"Hanabi, you should show some more respect for the elders," Hinata said softly, her eyes a little dazed. Had she really just stood up to the elders? The same group of people who had terrified her ever since she was a little girl? Her chin lifted up and she took a deep, rather shaky breath. She glanced down at her sister, whose eyes were watching her brightly. Hinata didn't think she'd ever seen her sister look so proud, and the heiress smiled and hugged Hanabi impulsively.

"What will Neji say, I wonder?" she said. Hanabi giggled, then her face became slightly serious.

"Sasuke will be very proud of you, sister. When he gets back, I'm going to tell him about how you stood up to the council to uphold your love." Hanabi laughed outright when she saw her sister's face flush red, pleased to see the normal reaction. She had been worried about Hinata when Sasuke had first left. Her older sister had always been prone to be melancholy, and his departure had thrown her into a depression. Ever the good daughter, sister, and shinobi, Hinata had tucked it all away inside and worked hard at her training and studies, but Hanabi had seen how the light seemed to have left her sister's eyes. She couldn't wait for Sasuke to return so that Hinata could go back to being happy. She looped her arm through her sister's now and smiled at her.

"Come on, let's go get some dango," she said, and dragged her protesting sister to the kitchen.

---------------------------------------------------

Months passed. Hinata and Sakura were both growing more worried about their respective partners, their smiles becoming harder to keep on their faces. Their friends had taken to sending them pitying looks, thinking that the two were doomed to heartbreak, but the two kunoichi refused to give up. Sakura refused to believe that Naruto and Sasuke would die on this mission. They were two damn stubborn, she said, and both would be back soon, Naruto crowing about he had to save Sasuke-teme's ass _again_ and Sasuke merely grunting in response. Hinata smiled whenever she said this, and resolved to believe the same. The two had taken to watching the gates whenever they had time to spare, waiting for the two ninja to return.

Hinata had even begun her wedding preparations. Ino and Tenten thought she was nuts, and even Hanabi was a little hesitant about this step. However, Hinata was not to be deterred. Sasuke had said he would be back in time for the wedding, and he would be. Sakura was the only one who whole-heartedly supported her in her decision to plan the wedding for the original date. It actually turned out to be a good thing for the two of them, to have this extra distraction as time wore on and nothing was heard from the two shinobi.

As her wedding day drew near, Hinata volunteered to take more shifts at the hospital to help keep herself busy. The wedding was three weeks away, and nothing had been heard from Sasuke and Naruto. Hinata needed the extra work to keep her mind off of her growing fears, so when one of the doctor's requested a leave of absence, Hinata offered to take his place. She was surprised to find that it was a bit difficult to step in, as the doctor she was filling in for had terrible handwriting. Trying to decipher the doctor's script was a challenge worthy of the chunnin exam, Hinata thought as she stood at the nurse's station, staring down at an illegible chart in concentration, reading through the test findings. She bit her lip, and then jotted something down before handing it back to the nurse. The nurse, however, didn't take it. Hinata looked up to see the woman's face in a mask of shock, her mouth hanging open slightly. Before Hinata could turn to see what had her so fixated, she heard a deep voice from behind her.

"Hey, Hinata-chan," and Hinata spun around only to watch as Naruto fell to the ground with a decided thud, Sasuke Uchiha tumbling from his back like a sack of flour. Hinata's reaction was immediate.

"Get Tsunade-sama here now!" she ordered as she rushed forward to start checking them over. She couldn't seem to get her knees to stop shaking, but her hands were steady as she started work on the more serious injuries. Naruto, with his amazing healing ability, was not in the danger that Sasuke was, and Hinata turned her attention to her fiancée, only to feel someone's hands on her shoulders. She struggled, trying to get to him, only to hear Shizune speaking softly.

"Find Sakura, Hinata-sama. Tsunade and I will work on these two," and the older women handed the now shaking heiress to a waiting nurse. Hinata nodded, watching as Tsunade barked out orders and everyone rushed to fill them. She wanted to help, but it was policy that no medical personal work on family members if it could be avoided. Sasuke, when he became engaged, had become one of those she wasn't allowed to treat at the hospital, and this had been on of the reasons why the Avenger had avoided going to the hospital. Watching his lifeless form while Tsunade worked on him filled Hinata with a new understanding and appreciation for the policy. She didn't think she'd be able to work on him with a clear head, and her eyes were already filling with tears. She turned and hurried to find Sakura.

The pink haired medic nin was just about to go home for the night when Hinata burst into the locker room. Sakura stared at Hinata's death white face and her own paled.

"What happened?" she asked.

"They're back." Hinata said softly. Sakura stared at her with wide eyes.

"Alive?" she asked, her mouth dry.

"Yes, but critical," she replied. They stared at each other before Sakura stepped forward, throwing her arms around Hinata and the two girls promptly burst into tears.

---------------------------

The two kunoichi didn't leave the hospital at all. They waited outside the operating theatres where their respective loved ones were and didn't move. Naruto was stabalised relatively quickly and moved into the intensive care wing of the hospital. Sakura, after making sure Naruto was all right and comfortable, pressed a kiss to his forehead before joining Hinata outside Sasuke's theatre. The two sat in silence, their earlier storm of emotions much more subdued. In a couple of hours, the door opened and Tsunade stepped out, exhausted but smiling.

"He'll be all right," she said, and Hinata sank against Sakura. They followed Sasuke's gurney as he was placed in the same room as Naruto, and the two girls curled up in the chairs beside their beds and waited for them to wake up.

-----------------------------------

Sasuke ached. He pulled himself forcefully to consciousness only to regret it as his whole body seemed to protest. He sighed and peeled open his eyes, his vision at first hazy. He tried to move his arm, only to find something preventing his left arm from raising. He turned his head to see Hinata's head resting on his arm. She was sleeping, and Sasuke took a moment to stare at her, relishing in the sight of her. It had been a very long time, he thought. Hinata, sensing his gaze on her, woke up. She blinked at him sleepily, then smiled widely.

"Sasuke," she breathed, and Sasuke felt a blush creep up into his cheeks at the light in her eyes and face. His breath quickened as she took his hand.

"I'm so happy you're awake, I was worried," she whispered, raising his hand and holding it against her cheek. Sasuke licked his dry lips and Hinata, seeing it, moved to get him some water. When he had drank enough to moisten his parched throat, he finally spoke.

"You shouldn't have been, I told you I'd be back in time for the wedding," he rasped. Hinata beamed at him.

"Yes. And it is in three days. You need to hurry and get well, we still have to fit you for you komono." She told him. Her name was paged and she stood, giving Sasuke a brief kiss on his cheek before leaving the room. Sasuke stared at her bewildered.

Three days?

-----------------------------------------

Sasuke was discharged from the hospital a day later. He wasted no time in giving his report to Tsunade-sama (mission successful) and the next two days were spent in a whirlwind of activity. It was tiring, as he still had some serious injuries to contend with. He still wasn't walking entirely on his own power the day the wedding took place, but he'd be damned if he'd let that stop him. He and Naruto arrived at the Hyuuga compound in plenty of good time, despite the fact that Sasuke was still moving on crutches. His kimono was traditional, as the wedding ceremony would be as well. It was to take place in the Hyuuga shrine, although the entire Hyuuga clan would not be there. It was only Hiashi, Hanabi and Neji for Hinata's side of the family. Sasuke, as he had no family left, had asked Naruto and Sakura if they would stand in their place. He had had to put up with teary eyes on Sakura's part and a bone crushing hug on Naruto's, to which he responded by scowling and muttering 'che'.

A servant met them at the door and led them to a room where they could wait. Sasuke stood silently, his eyebrow twitching as Naruto's fidgeting increased with every passing minute.

"Come on, come on, what's taking so long?" the blonde finally spoke. Sasuke rolled his eyes. You'd think it was Naruto's wedding, instead of his with the way the blonde was acting.

"Che, I'm going to see if I can hurry them up or something," and Naruto disappeared out the door before Sasuke could stop him. Sasuke rolled his eyes, a sense of dread erupting in his stomach. He didn't trust Naruto not to mess something up, and was about to hobble out of the room after him when the door opened again.

It was Hinata, dressed in her wedding kimono. Thoughts of Naruto flew right out of his head as he stared at her. She seemed very calm and determined as she walked towards him.

"Hinata?" he asked softly. Hinata stopped in front of him and gazed into his eyes. Sasuke swallowed thickly.

"I wanted to tell you this before we got married," she said softly, then finding herself not quite able to hold his gaze, she dropped her eyes and reached for his hands. She took them in her smaller ones and took a deep breath.

"I love you, Sasuke," she said softly and looked up at him. Seeing his expression, she continued, this time looking at him as she said it.

"I love you. I have for awhile now," she stopped, unable to go on as Sasuke had bent his head to kiss her. She smiled against his mouth and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back. They were so involved with each other they didn't hear the commotion outside the room, a crash followed by Sakura's shriek. They pulled apart, however, when the door opened admitting a furious Sakura and cowering Naruto.

"It was an accident, Sakura-chan! I swear!"

"You idiot! How could you destroy the altar," the medic-nin screeched. Sasuke sighed, his arms still around his fiancée. He rested his head on top of hers and watched the drama play out.

"I didn't mean to," Naruto whined.

"It took all morning to set that up, and now the sake cups are destroyed," and Sakura smacked the blonde upside the head. The room suddenly became much smaller as Hanabi and Neji entered, the former grinning, the latter looking annoyed.

"Hinata-sama," Neji said calmly, "it would appear that the wedding ceremony is to be delayed." Hanabi snickered.

"You've should've seen it, Hinata, the blonde idiot was entirely graceless-"

"I'M NOT AN IDIOT!"

Sasuke sighed and wondered if, after everything he went through to get back in time for the wedding, it would be delayed anyways on account of the future Hokage's extreme klutziness.

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The wedding ceremony did take place, and was followed by a 'kick-ass party' to quote a few of the more boisterous guests. Hinata and Sasuke bore up under all the attention and fuss quite well. Hinata was happy to have everyone she cared about in one place, and Sasuke was amused to witness the sombre Hyuuga's reaction to Naruto, Kiba and Tsunade after having imbibed copious amounts of alcohol. Hanabi got a kick out of bugging Shino and teasing Hana till she resembled a cherry before Hinata managed to pull her sister away. Hanabi agreed to let Shino and his girlfriend alone, but Hinata wondered if maybe it wouldn't have been better to let her annoy Shino, as Hanabi decided that Gaara of the Sand was a good replacement for her antics. Neji was kept busy helping Tenten keep Lee away from anything alcoholic. It was touch and go for minute when Naruto challenged the taijutsu specialist to a drinking contest, and the only thing that prevented Lee from accepting was some drastic interference from Tenten. All the guests began consuming more alcohol after witnessing said drastic measures in an effort to erase the sight from their minds. As a result, everyone ended up having a good time, even the stoic Hyuuga clan members.

Overall, however, the wedding party was a success, and there is nothing left to say for the couple except that they lived happily ever after.

Oh, and to everyone's surprise, Tsunade won the bet with Jiraiya – Sasuke and Hinata had a baby girl before their first year of marriage was complete.

FIN

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Author's Note: I would like to thank everyone for the lovely and encouraging reviews, and apologize for the rather long delays of late. I'm happy this fic is finished, I enjoyed writing it and am glad so many of you have enjoyed reading it. Thanks again!

emilyjm


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